


The Wheel of Samsara

by LaDragonaria



Series: Adios, Despair! [8]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Sex, Friends to Lovers, Groundhog Day AU, Hurt/Comfort, Kink Meme, M/M, Retconning everything, Slow Burn, almost no one dies, working my way towards the best timeline possible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-08-30 00:30:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 67,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8511808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDragonaria/pseuds/LaDragonaria
Summary: "Munakata feels nothing but regret about being responsible for Sakakura's death, about not being able to apologize, not being able to save him. And in some sick cosmic joke he gets sent back to the beginning of the killing game, after Yukizome's death. It's like deja vu at first but the more he relives it the more he knows what will happen because of his actions and so he avoids making the same mistakes. But doing that just opens up a whole new series of mistakes for him to make. No matter what he does he can't seem to save Sakakura. When either he or Sakakura dies, everything restarts from the beginning again."And so begins Munakata's task to change his fate, and the fate of everyone in the Final Killing Game.





	1. 1000-Handed Bodhisattva of Mercy

**Author's Note:**

> I would have tagged this as major character death, but no one (aside from Yukizome and maybe Tengan and Gekkogahara) really die...? Probably...?
> 
> I'm going for the "(almost) everyone makes it out alive!" best timeline scenario.

Walking away from everything. Numb all over.

In the course of however many hours, he'd lost all of his friends. Yukizome... And... Sakakura.

Sakakura he felt the most guilty about. With Yukizome, he hadn't known about the monitors, or that she was Despair. Learning everything after the fact did nothing but confuse him, make him reexamine specific moments and wonder how things would have been if he could get her help. If he could have gone to Naegi and his friends, and asked them to put her into the Neo World Program...

All of them had lived... Even Kirigiri in the end.

And...

Sakakura's death made him feel the most guilty. Because not only had he cast the man aside, but he... He'd caused the fatal injury. And it was him who left him alone. And if he had only gotten to him sooner... If he'd gotten some of Kimura's medicine, or if he'd known better and hadn't...

"I'm so sorry." He says, to no one. Crying hasn't done anyone any good. Nothing has. "...Please, forgive me."

And even so, he crumbles to the ground, memories fresh in his mind. Knowing he won't be able to sleep. Knowing... that he'll... never be happy after this.

"Please... Please let me... Let me fix this..." He says to no one, as wet tears pour from his good eye. "There must be something I can do. Please... Let me try... Let me... I'm begging you... Take my other eye, my... my life if you need it, take anything from me, but please... Bring them back...!"

...

He waits as if some divine deity, some bodhisattva of mercy, would be listening to his pleas. Of course nothing happens. That's just not how life works.

...

He ends up staying awake for the next two days, afraid to sleep. Afraid to see the specters in his mind accusing him. Afraid to see Yukizome, tainted by Despair. Afraid that... Sakakura's phantom never would blame him.

Knowing everything he knew now... Tengan, Gekkogahara, about all of the NG codes, the plan, where they were, the monitors... Knowing all of that now didn't mean a thing.

At some point, sleep takes him, because he's not sure how to stay awake any longer. A restless sleep awaits and at the end of it, more restless nights.

* * * 

...

"Hey... Munakata."

His mind reels suddenly, forced to move forward, lurching forward.

When he opens his eyes - and he has both of them - he's... staring face to face with Sakakura. The shock of it is so profound he's struck silent.

"What's wrong?" Sakakura asks and places a heavy hand on his shoulder. There's a sudden look of regret on his face. "...Shit, I'm sorry. Of... Of course you're not okay right now. I'm... I'm sorry about Yukizome."

He manages to say.

In the rest of the room, everyone is... alive, and bickering. It's such a surreal thing that...

He glances to his arm. The NG code is there again. And... Sakakura is...?

"...Sakakura?" He asks weakly and grips Sakakura's arm. He practically flinches. "Are you... uninjured?"

"I-I'm fine. What... What's up? Are you in shock? I'd... We could ask Kimura to give you something but we need you sharp."

"...Stay by my side." He says simply.

"Of course." Sakakura smiles then.

"Good. Follow my lead."

Trying to get his thoughts in working order he turns to the rest of the group. Yukizome is...

They've just heard an explanation of the "rules" from Monokuma. And without looking, he already knows is NG code is that he can't open doors. And he knows the codes of everyone else.

His eyes can't linger there. Scanning the room, he spots Tengan, and Mitarai, and his blood begins to boil.

"The Remnants of Despair... I won't forgive them..." Kimura says in a low growl.

"My, my... What a pain." Kizakura adjusts his hat.

"Open wide~" Ando has a macaroon in her hand and is trying to feed it to Izayoi.

"No. Not now." He answers simply. Ando looks momentarily stunned and hurt.

"Anyway, fighting is just what Monokuma wants us to do!" Naegi implores to the room. "We need to work together now."

...

Gozu and Sakakura move to lay Yukizome to rest, temporarily.

"Of all people, why her..." He hears Sakakura say to himself.

Kirigiri examines the wall.

"...It wasn't your fault, Kimura." Munakata looks in her direction. "There was nothing you could have done."

"...!"

The room seems temporarily thrown off by Munakata's words, as if that's not how the script goes.

Kimura looks at him, confused, and then says nothing.

Asahina and... Gekkogahara... talk about the possibility of a hacking from the inside. And all Munakata can do is glare in Tengan's direction.

...Tengan and Bandai talk about the possibility of escape... And...

"Then, we have to find and kill the attacker." Sakakura says simply.

Munakata's eyes shoot to him. This is... This is how it happened before. Is this real?

"Sakakura. Don't hurt anyone." He says simply, and it stuns the room again. Sakakura most of all.

"...Munakata's right. We can... tie them up. No one has to be killed."

"With your Super High School Level Luck-"

"No, Naegi is not the attacker." Munakata says again definitively. And even Naegi looks surprised. This is the same man who was trying to have him executed. "That much is certain."

"...He allied with the Remnants of Despair to set this whole thing up." Sakakura isn't sure what Munakata is talking about. "Isn't that right, Naegi Makoto?"

"You're wrong!"

When Sakakura is about to move forward, Munakata grips him by the arm again.

"...What's wrong? We know who the attacker is..."

"No. I told you. It's not Naegi. Stand down."

"But-!"

"That's an order." He says dangerously. "As for now... There must be no violence."

"But..."

"Sakakura. Trust me." He says again. "...I'll save you this time."

"Huh? Save me...?"

Munakata turns his gaze to Tengan.

"...Was this your plan?"

"Hm?" Tengan looks to him.

"You were prepared to sacrifice us all, including yourself for this?" He steps closer, and no one really understands it. "All to give Mitarai the Hope to eliminate Despair? That was your big plan?"

"..."

"Munakata..." Naegi is just as confused as everyone else.

"Tell me, how was this supposed to go? You'd use Enoshima's brainwashing videos to have us think there was an attacker? The closest person to the monitor commits suicide? And we go around killing each other? ...This isn't being broadcast to the outside is it."

He draws his blade. Everyone looks very confused, but Kirigiri can see some of the merit in his words. There is something strange going on.

"Munakata."

"You had us moved to some other place, and had us kill each other just to give him self-confidence? To make him believe in Hope? How long has that twisted vision been lurking inside of you? ...As far as I'm concerned, you're the one who killed them."

"That'll be enough." Gozu says standing in his way.

"Hey." Sakakura moves forward to confront Gozu.

"Step aside, you two. I want to hear about Tengan's master plan." Munakata says quietly.

"You're accusing Tengan?" Asahina is as surprised as anyone. "Why?"

"It's not such a strange idea, in theory." Kirigiri says enigmatically. "Although there's no proof for it yet, the Chairman would be able to orchestrate something like this. If the attacker is one of us, it makes some sense."

"No. There is no attacker." Munakata says simply and even Kirigiri is surprised. "...You'll notice it when you check the bodies. But this is suicide."

Kirigiri blanches, surprised by his words and an ominous prediction.

"Hold on, hold on..." Kizakura steps forward. "What's with the future tense?"

"...Your NG code is that you have to keep your left hand closed. Naegi can't run in the halls. Mitarai can't use his ability. Izayoi can't eat anything, and Ando can't leave the playing field." He rattles them off simply. "Am I wrong?"

"..."

There's momentary stunned silence, which anyone could take as confirmation.

"Munakata... You're..." Sakakura looks to him. "You're kind of scaring me. What's going on...? Naegi isn't the attacker?"

"I see through your plan, Tengan. Too late, I know. But... I will stop you."

"Hold on." Gozu hasn't moved. "There's something you know."

"Step aside, Gozu. I'll kill Tengan, and then we'll shut down the power. And no one will have to kill anyone."

"...You'll kill me, will you?" Tengan gives a small smile.

"Yes. I owe you that much. For her sake."

"There will be no killing." Gozu says. "You will have to go through me."

"I would rather not, Gozu. You die early on."

"Is that a fact?"

"If you will not move, then..."

Munakata points his sword at Gozu. And swings. The blade knicks him, just barely, and Gozu's arm begins to bleed.

Some kind of childish jingle plays and Bandai grimaces.

Munakata hears it and looks back as Bandai tumbles to the ground. He'd... He'd forgotten...! Bandai can't witness violence so...

"Move!" Kimura rushes forward with a vial of something and pours it into Bandai's mouth. But... "...He's dead."

"..." Munakata stares in horror at what's just happened.

"E-Everyone... Calm down..." The animated rabbit's voice plays from Gekkogahara's monitor.

"...Munakata, are _you_ the attacker then?" Tengan's eyes land on him. "Look at what you've done."

"I..."

"Hold your horses, old man. There's no way Munakata's the attacker." Sakakura glares.

Gozu covers his bleeding arm.

"He's right. If Munakata had set all of this up, or if he was involved in this... He wouldn't have revealed his hand so early. If the point of this is a Killing Game, his goal would be a body count, not to risk it all for a second body..." Kirigiri states dispassionately while staring at Tengan. She has an inkling that Munakata may be right, but she'd need to examine Yukizome's body herself.

"And yet somehow he knows all of the NG codes... And even so, he allowed Bandai to die. What else would you call that person but an attacker?"

"That's...!" Sakakura grits his teeth. There's... There's no way Munakata would kill Yukizome. He knows that. If he knows anything, he knows that.

"Suicide...? How ridiculous. What kind of monster could string up Yukizome like that...?" Tengan continues to force the situation against him.

"Now I see. Munakata..." Gozu moves forward quickly, slamming into Munakata and sending him sprawling backwards. It's not unlike being hit by a charging bull.

Sakakura moves automatically. And... Without thinking...

He punches Gozu square in the face.

"Sakakura!!" He shouts, just before the childish jingle plays again.

Even Gozu is horrified seeing Sakakura suddenly stiffen and catches him as he begins to crumple to the ground. Munakata rushes over to him, seeing blood escaping from his eye.

"...Y-You've... got to live..." He says... smiling. No. Not again. Not... Not that smile again...! "Mu... na... kata..."

And...

And then it's over. And Kimura shrieks to herself that her medicine isn't working, and that she's useless when she tries to help.

But the world... is cold again. He...

He'd done this...

Sakakura was dead again because of...

Because...

* * *

...

"Hey... Munakata."

His mind reels suddenly, forced to move forward, lurching forward.

When he opens his eyes - and he has both of them - he's... staring face to face with Sakakura. The shock of it is so profound he's struck silent.

"What's wrong?" Sakakura asks and places a heavy hand on his shoulder. There's a sudden look of regret on his face. "...Shit, I'm sorry. Of... Of course you're not okay right now. I'm... I'm sorry about Yukizome."

He manages to say.

Munakata sees that it's Sakakura again he...

Even Sakakura is taken aback by the sudden hug, gripping him tightly, hands clasped around the jacket.

As surreal as it is, Sakakura... isn't complaining.

"Sakakura... You're okay..."

"Y-You're..." Sakakura tries to keep his voice even. "...It's okay. I-It'll be okay... We'll find out who killed Yukizome."

"...Don't leave my side. And... don't punch anyone. You know why."

Sakakura momentarily loses his focus, startled.

"How...?"

"...Stay by my side. We're getting out of here. As many times as it takes."


	2. Second Verse, Same as the First

On the second time around, he's more... numb to Yukizome's death than anything. If his suspicions are right, everything will take place again after they get her down from the chandelier.

"Bandai. A moment." He says calling him over.

"Munakata?" Bandai's squeaky voice calls out as he comes over. "A chance meeting by the river?"

...Whatever that means.

Munakata removes his tie.

"Wear this around your eyes." He says calmly. "...So that nothing happens to you."

"..."

Bandai stares at him, momentarily confused and even Sakakura is stunned. Blindfolding him would be... What was the point of that.

"Thank you, Munakata!"

He says before tying the tie around his eyes like a blindfold.

"Asahina, would you mind helping Bandai around? ...He musn't witness violence." He asks diplomatically.

The entire room isn't sure what to think of this, and this time around he does his best not to arouse Tengan's suspicions or try to reveal too much. If anything, he's learned that Gozu will protect Tengan, and Tengan will place the blame somewhere else. It also means that if anything, he'll try to help Mitarai more than anyone else.

And by extension, Kimura shouldn't be left alone with Izayoi or Ando. They'll quickly turn on each other.

Kizakura will likely protect Kirigiri. Hearing about how he tried to save her, and how he was following her around before makes him think at least she'll be alright. And if they must make it through a period of sleep, then Kirigiri's life is at stake.

The ones he knows he cannot trust are Tengan and Gekkogahara. By extension, Mitarai and Gozu are dangerous in and of themselves... And he's not sure where he can place Ando and Izayoi. They'll be good allies, or worse enemies... It depends on how he can get this to go.

But with Bandai... That's at least one death he can avoid. Hopefully. Pairing him with Asahina is the safest route he can think of. She'll be more likely not to get into a fight...

Kimura continues to stare over at Yukizome's body, submerged in her own pity.

"It's alright, Kimura." Munakata says, looking in her direction. "There was nothing you could have done. She was dead before she fell, while we were sleeping."

"How... How can you know that..."

"It's alright, Kimura. I understand." Munakata walks closer to her. The entire thing has given him more empathy than before. "I know what it is to have people die... And to not feel like you can help. But you are alive. And so you must keep moving forward."

...

"Is... Is Munakata acting differently?" Asahina covertly moves over to Sakakura. "He's your best friend, you'd know."

"..." He scoffs and turns away. "What do you care?"

"I care because it wasn't that long ago that he wanted to kill Naegi." She says defiantly. "And now he's got this whole savior thing going on. What the heck is up with that?"

"...Just do what you're told and watch over Bandai."

"Hey. I know you're worried about him too." She says grabbing his sleeve as Sakakura turns to go. The look he gives her tells her to let go. "...I'm sorry."

Munakata would be worried, but both of them are reluctant to fight. Their NG codes were made to cancel each other out.

That's the other big problem. He can't keep track of everyone. He can't make sure they'll all be safe. There's just no way to monitor everyone at once.

"Kirigiri." He calls over to her. "You and I have something to discuss."

"...Which is?"

"A private matter. Let's step outside."

"Wait. That..." Naegi is apprehensive, and Sakakura is as well. "You can't."

"I'm not going to hurt her."

"Munakata. Now's not a good time to go off on your own." Sakakura's somber expression tells him that he's concerned. He's acting differently. There's no way to disguise that. "We have to think of a plan."

"...Then you and Naegi come too. I have something I want to run by Kirigiri."

...

The four of them step out of the room. The others have stayed in the conference room, Asahina watching Bandai with Gekkogahara.

"What's all this about?" Kirigiri looks to him. "It isn't safe to be here alone. If there is no attacker among us, then it means-"

"No. The attacker is among us. However..." Munakata begins. "...Yukizome killed herself."

"What?!" Sakakura suddenly grips his arm. "What are you saying? Yukizome wouldn't... You knew her better than anyone. She would never!"

"What evidence do you have?" Kirigiri entertains the notion.

"Nothing concrete, but if you examine her body, you'll likely see the wounds could be self-inflicted..." He says before sighing loudly. "I don't have time to explain it, but it's the monitors. They send out some kind of brainwashing signal to the person closest to it while we're sleeping. Yukizome was closest to the monitor. That's why you absolutely can't be close to one when the time limit is up."

"..."

"Munakata..." Sakakura is in disbelief.

"Before, in the other killing games, there was always a person doing the killing." Naegi says seriously. "...You think it's different this time?"

"You noticed it before. We aren't where we first were." He says looking to her. "That's why you inspected the wall, right? ...Someone's moved us to a different location. And I know who it is. But for now, we can't say anything."

"You know who... You know who the mastermind is?!"

Munakata's glare makes Sakakura go quiet. He's being too loud.

"Who do you suspect?"

"...Tengan. As I said, I can't explain it all right now. But Tengan set this up remotely. Nothing is being broadcast. This is all so that Mitarai will upload a brainwashing video of Hope... The exact opposite of Enoshima."

"..."

"What you're saying... sounds really farfetched." Sakakura is still worried about him.

"Even so, it's not incoherent nonsense." Kirigiri says quietly. "...You have no proof though?"

"...I can't tell you everything, but your NG code is that if Naegi passes the 4th time limit alive, you'll die." He says seriously, and watches her poker face falter. Even Naegi is... "I can tell you everyone else's NG code as well. Either that makes me someone who knows what's happening, or an accomplice to the mastermind."

"You're not an accomplice." Sakakura states it so quickly that it's excruciating to Munakata... hearing that he has such faith in him without a second thought.

"...Thank you for that. I'm sorry."

"Huh? Sorry for what...?"

"...It's not important." He looks back to Kirigiri. "You either believe me, or you'll think me an accomplice. But why would I reveal the plan to you and how to stop it, unless this is another trap. But... If you don't believe me..."

He sighs and shows her his NG code.

"..."

"As you can see, if you'd rather lock me in a room somewhere while you verify what I'm saying, I'll understand. But I want us all to live through this."

"..." Kirigiri pauses. "What is it you're proposing?"

"If I'm right, then we just need to shut down the power." He unconsciously looks to Sakakura, fresh worry on his face. "If we cut the breakers, the monitors and the bangles will fall off like last time."

"Last time?"

"..." He sighs. "I can't explain it to you, I'm afraid. I don't think it would make sense. If you'd like, I'll tell you all about it when we're out of here."

"If what you're saying is right... then Tengan is..." Naegi says.

"...Let's go to the breakers for now. We have no other choice." Kirigiri says quietly. "If nothing else, we'll be able to put this to rest before anyone else dies."

"...Just us four?" Sakakura looks around.

"No. The others need something to do." Kirigiri says with a sly smile. "Otherwise we'll stand out."

"...Tell them to look around. But tell Asahina, Bandai, Kimura, Izayoi, Kizakura, and Ando to break any monitors they come across... If the time limit is up before we're done, they should shut themselves in a room and break the monitor. That should be sufficient." Munakata says. "...At least, I hope so."

"...And the others?" Naegi is talking about Tengan, Mitarai, Gekkogahara, and Gozu.

"Leave them be." Munakata says quickly. Aside from Gozu and maybe Mitarai, they weren't worth saving.

"Leave them...? But what if one of them...?!"

"Then they die." Munakata says with a shrug. "Deaths may be unavoidable."

"No, that's wrong. We... We need to work together and save everyone."

"Aren't you listening?" Sakakura growls at him. "Tengan might be the one who planned all this. And that means Gozu's going to be his bodyguard. You really want to go out of your way to appeal to them?"

"That's..."

"If Tengan's guilty, he should enjoy a taste of his own medicine. Let him have fun in his fucked up funhouse."

"..." Naegi is at a loss.

"Regardless, the more time we waste, the less time anyone has. Let's quickly tell them the plan."

"...And keep Kimura away from bright places. Her NG code is people stepping on her shadow." Munakata says decisively.

. . .

Munakata's head swims with the possibilities of what will happen if they confront Tengan. Or what might happen afterwards. They are still trapped in this thing... And hopefully they can convince whatever Gekkogahara is to open up a channel to the outside world when they're done.

And then... He can dispatch her again. They'll be surprised, but when she's revealed to be robotic, they'll understand... He hopes.

...But the worst part of it has been that Sakakura has to give Naegi a piggyback ride as they run. It's awkward for both of them, and Sakakura looks increasingly like a cat who's being petted, incorrectly, and growling.

Although it takes some doing to pull open the door to the breakers, they make it in easily enough.

As Kirigiri and Naegi enter, Munakata has to stop.

Seeing... that room again. Where... he...

"Sakakura..." He says suddenly unable to catch his breath.

"Munakata?" He looks to him. "H-Hey... What... What's wrong?"

Munakata clutches his arm tightly, the left arm, squeezing his hand as if he can't believe it's real. It feels like a train is riding over his chest.

"What's wrong?!" Naegi asks as Munakata nearly tumbles forward into Sakakura's chest.

"He's having a panic attack." Kirigiri moves to help but Munakata is waving them away.

"Do... the breakers... No time..." He manages to wheeze out.

Although she wants to help... She does understand he's right. She looks momentarily skeptical as she goes in with Naegi to pull the first one down.

"Hey. Look at me. You're okay." Sakakura says as he moves Munakata into a sitting position. "Breathe. In and out, you're okay..."

Munakata refuses to let go of his hand. Sakakura sits with him and breathes with him.

"...Sorry..." He manages to say at last.

"Don't apologize. You've... You've been through a lot."

The lights and the power shut off around him. They... They must be doing it.

"I want... to tell you the truth..." He says quietly. "But you won't... believe me."

His breathing becomes more regular as he forcibly tries to calm his breathing. Having Sakakura there, and knowing he isn't in the room with all the levers is... so comforting.

"I can't say I'm not curious... But... You were right about everything else. If... If you want to tell me, I'll trust you."

With the last lever pulled down, the bangles beep and detach.

That... That would be proof enough for Kirigiri, he thinks quietly. At least that crisis was averted.

"...I'm not sure where to begin."

"How about the beginning?" Kirigiri says as they emerge, her arms crossed. "You were planning on telling us as well...?"

"Do you... believe me...?" He asks with ragged breaths.

"I still can't decide if you're telling the truth or you're an accomplice who got cold feet. But no one has to worry about the NG codes now... So, I'll admit to some curiosity."

"..." Munakata begins the story with a simple, "...I've lived through this before."

...

The story is kept to abbreviated versions of things. The order of deaths, what had happened, duels, Tengan dying, his eye, suicide videos, how things were supposed to go... And...

And Sakakura being stabbed by him. Not a proud part of the story, especially seeing Sakakura's face recoil in confusion and fear. And then seeing his face again, when he talks about the missing hand, saving Naegi, and... Finding him dead in the breaker room.

"...So... That's why." Sakakura says, now understanding.

The rest of the story is summed up; Togami to the rescue, the Remnants of Despair waking up very conveniently, and everything else.

"..."

"You don't believe me." He says looking to Kirigiri.

"It isn't that. There are parts of the story I don't understand though. Like how Kimura's medicine could save me, even though she tried to save Bandai only moments after he was poisoned, to no avail..."

"I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that."

"...You saved me, Sakakura. Thank you." Naegi smiles and it makes Sakakura want to punch him.

"Yeah. Didn't do shit in the end, huh..."

"I'm sorry." Munakata says looking to him. "I never... I don't want to hurt you again. It was my fault. I couldn't trust you. And I cast you aside. Please forgive me. Please..."

Sakakura is left speechless by the sudden display of emotion.

Munakata is beseeching a dead man for forgiveness, the way he'd imagined doing so many times. And Sakakura, this one, still alive, can't wrap his head around the situation.

"H-Hey... It's... You're fine. That's all that I care about."

"Sakakura... It was my fault. I... I did that to you."

"Naegi. Let's return to the others. There's no danger now." She says giving them some room.

"Yeah. Okay." The two of them begin to walk away.

"..." Sakakura continues to stare, before he begins again. "Listen, I... I can't speak for the other me. But... Even if you abandon me, I want you to live."

The words are so simple, and they only hurt Munakata even more.

"Stop that."

"It's true. If... If it were me, I'd just want you to live. It... It wouldn't matter if you hurt me. I think I... Or... The other me...? ...I think any version of me would just be happy you were alive. That's all that matters to me. I'm sorry I couldn't save Yukizome."

"Don't... That wasn't your fault."

"She... You said she was Despair, right? How... How did we not see it? She seemed so... Upbeat. Like herself. What... What did I do wrong... How did that happen... You must blame me."

"I said it wasn't your fault. Neither of us saw it."

...

An uncomfortable silence settles between them.

"...Listen... I... There's something I've gotta tell you. You weren't wrong to think I was a Despair too. I... I did betray you back then. But..." He looks like he's about to say something. And it looks important but... "...I'll tell you when we get out of here, okay? I... We've got enough to worry about."

"Sakakura..."

"I know... It's not like I'm trying to..." He's about to say he isn't trying to hide it, but he is. He wishes he didn't have to say it. "...I'd rather us be out of danger before I tell you the whole thing."

He hands Munakata his jacket.

"What's... this for...?"

"I... I don't know. Don't people in shock get blankets or...?" He tries not to sigh too loudly. "Just take it. You need it more than I do right now."

...

On their way back, things are... eerily quiet. He had expected there would be some noise at least. That they would be talking to each other loudly, or that Tengan would have done something else by now but...

"Stay back!" Kirigiri says to them before a metal blade impacts Munakata in the shoulder.

White hot pain ripples down his arm as Sakakura shoves him aside. Izayoi, throwing blades at them, stands at the end of the hallway.

"What... What the hell was that?!" Sakakura growls.

"He isn't in his right mind. You mentioned brainwashing...?" Kirigiri says, hiding at a T-intersection. No idea where Naegi's gone though. Maybe around.

"...Mitarai." Munakata seethes. He hadn't taken away his phone. "This is because of Mitarai."

"Why would he-?"

"I couldn't tell you. But they've been brainwashed."

He hadn't taken away his phone because there had been on real way he could have explained it. It would have looked like a shakedown, or that he was stealing from him. And with Tengan there, there was no way it would have been allowed.

"Where's the punk?" Sakakura looks in Kirigiri's direction.

"He went to find Asahina and Bandai. Assuming they aren't also..."

The next two to round the hallway are Gozu and Tengan... And they look just as vacant as Izayoi.

"...Is this what you wanted, Tengan? To be brainwashed into Hope...?" He asks to no one in particular.

"They're going to rush us." Kirigiri says quickly. "We need a plan."

"As long as we keep Tengan and Gozu in his line of fire, Izayoi won't be able to make a move, right?" Sakakura has Munakata pressed against the wall, shielding him with his body, just in case. If it were any other situation, this would have been nice. However... "...I'll take Gozu, you take Tengan. Don't get caught out in the open."

"Sakakura. No. That's too risky. We need to go around. And we need to find Mitarai."

"Make a decision." Kirigiri says urgently before running. "I'm going around."

...There was no way to double around from where they were without leaving Kirigiri potentially alone.

"Please..." Munakata looks up to him with pleading eyes. "Don't die for me. I couldn't bear it."

"Sorry, boss. No can do. Your life's the one that's most important to me."

There's the smallest hint of a smile before Sakakura charges forward around the corner for Gozu, making the decision for them.

And Munakata would have gone for Tengan in any other situation, but the idea that Sakakura was running into danger, headlong was...

He couldn't allow that. He simply wouldn't allow him to sacrifice himself.

When he also charges for Gozu, sword drawn, he can see the confusion in Sakakura's eyes. This wasn't their plan.

"Make a break for it. Now." He says brandishing his sword towards Gozu. The mask has always been disconcerting, but to think there's nothing there behind the eyes right now is... "Do as I say."

Sakakura is momentarily torn between loyalty and orders but... He dodges flying blades as he moves towards Kirigiri's hallway... Only to be stopped by Tengan.

In previously unseen skill, Tengan slams the palm of his hand into Sakakura's abdomen and sends him flying back down the hallway, now unconscious.

He'd... He'd never seen that kind of technique from Tengan.

Immediately he breaks off from Gozu to run for Sakakura, to move him out of the way but...

Pain shoots up his back in multiple places, and he falls forward, coughing up blood. Munakata realizes, too late, that he'd shown his back to Izayoi and now he was stuck with blades all over, bleeding through Sakakura's jacket.

"No... Not like this... I was..." So close...

He can feel his consciousness fading, inching forward on his stomach to crawl for Sakakura.

And then...

* * *

A wave of dizziness and nausea hits him as he opens his eyes. It's...

...

"Hey... Munakata."

His mind reels suddenly, forced to move forward, lurching forward.

When he opens his eyes - and he has both of them - he's... staring face to face with Sakakura. The shock of it is so profound he's struck silent.

"What's wrong?" Sakakura asks and places a heavy hand on his shoulder. There's a sudden look of regret on his face. "...Shit, I'm sorry. Of... Of course you're not okay right now. I'm... I'm sorry about Yukizome."

He manages to say.

...

Munakata clenches his teeth. He'd...

He'd failed.

But... It also worked for him, too, didn't it. If he died, or if Sakakura died... Then he'd have to do it over again. Bandai had died with no results. It... It possibly meant that it only applied to the two of them.

There were rules.

The hand on his shoulder squeezes and he nearly jumps, realizing he's been thinking vacantly as Sakakura tries to talk to him about Yukizome.

...Yukizome.

He can't save her, he's realized. No matter what he does, she'll still be dead.

"I'll do what I can..." He says quietly. "I'll save who I can..."

"...Munakata?"

"I'll be alright." He says, voice frail as he looks to Sakakura. "Don't leave my side. I will get us out of her. No matter what it takes. I just... need a plan."

"I... don't really get it, but I'm here for you."

"Good. And don't punch anyone." He looks to him dangerously. "I mean it. You can have my sword. I don't want you risking your life."

"How... How'd you know about...?"

"I'll tell you when there's time. Please, trust me."

"..." Sakakura isn't sure how to respond to any of this. "You're scaring me. Are you okay?"

"It isn't about me. This is about you. I will get you out of here alive. And anyone else I possibly can. Believe in me."


	3. Unknown Variables (Part 1 of 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Unknown Variables - Fractals**  
>  (Part 1 of 2)

As things continue, repeating from the same spot, always the same spot...

"...I feel as if I'm losing my mind." Munakata says once, when Sakakura and he are alone.

So far, he's learned that neither he nor Sakakura can die, or they will be forced to relive it over and over again.

After trying multiple times, he's also realized that forcing the situation usually leads to a bad end. Trying to shut down the monitors and the bangles leads to Mitarai using his abilities, most likely afraid that someone is going to kill him. Time and again, Mitarai brainwashes the others, possibly to keep any attacker from killing him.

In one particularly bad timeline, he sees Sakakura brainwashed, before ultimately he is turned to fight Munakata himself... And that ends very badly for one of them, always.

Killing Tengan immediately also ends very badly, because Gozu reacts badly always... And Mitarai always tries to recruit someone to his side by brainwashing. It doesn't matter who it is, anyone he can think of that would help him. 

He's also learned that Kirigiri and Naegi are willing to believe him, which helps. And that Kizakura is most concerned with Kirigiri's safety. Having them together with Asahina and Bandai works very well.

And each time he gives Bandai his tie to cover his eyes, Bandai normally makes it... At least until the bangles come off.

"...I'm sorry." Sakakura says. "This is my fault. I should have known Yukizome was Despair. I shouldn't have let her-"

"Enough. I don't want to hear it again." Every time it's the same. Sakakura's guilt for Yukizome... At first it was painful, now it's... It's starting to be annoying to hear it again and again.

"Again...?"

"..." They really don't have anything better to do now. "Let's keep moving. Break any monitor you see. I'll explain what I know."

And the explanations become more and more abridged, tired of relating the same things over and over. But he does it, because Sakakura always believes him. And there's always that look of shock when he gets to the point of the story where he talks about seeing him dead in the breaker room.

...

It may be impossible to keep them all alive, he says. And Sakakura seems to take that to heart.

For what must be the twentieth time at least, he's asked Kirigiri, Asahina, Naegi, Bandai, and Mitarai to go together to the breaker room to shut down the power. And Kizakura normally follows along. Sometimes he asks Kimura to go, but it doesn't seem to end favorably for her when he does.

It's usually best to leave Kimura, Ando, and Izayoi alone and hope they don't end up crossing paths.

There had been a timeline where they'd asked Kimura to stick with them, after a timeline where Sakakura died from a brainwashed Izayoi. If anything, she could help with her medicines... But... That hadn't ended well either.

So many realities seem to blur together.

"Let's just wait here." He says pointing to a room. This room only has the one monitor and it's easy to block off from others. With Sakakura there, he has to wait for him to open doors, but it's easy enough to destroy the monitor with his sword. "...The time limit's running out."

"...Yeah. Looks like it. It shouldn't take that long to get to the breakers. Maybe something happened...?"

"..." Munakata slumps against the wall now that they've barricaded themselves in. He'd like nothing more than to rest. The mental gymnastics of this, time and again, are exhausting. "...If it did, there's always the next timeline."

"H-Hey..." Sakakura moves over to him. "That's not something you should say."

"But it's the truth. If things get bad enough, I'll simply commit suicide and we'll start this over again."

Seeing Sakakura react, physically pulling him up from the ground by his shirt sleeves is... frightening. And unexpected.

"What the fuck did you just say?! You... You'd better not be giving into Despair yourself!"

The thought is so alien, so completely... Unexpected that...

"...I'm not."

"You're ready to give up just because things aren't going your way? I don't know who you are right now but I need Munakata, can you get back in touch with him? He's the salvation of this world, and I want him back!"

"...That's still me, Sakakura."

"Then fucking act like it!" He slams him hard against the wall for emphasis. "...Yukizome was willing to die for you. And so am I. I... You said I did in that other... Whatever it was. Seeing you so willing to give up... What the fuck were we dying for?!"

"..." He turns away. "I'm sorry. I'm... I'm just tired of this, is all."

Sakakura lets go of him.

"I get it. I do. You must be... This must be hell for you. So, I get it."

"No, you don't." He adds simply. "You don't know what it is to lose everyone and feel like you're failing them. Because of mistakes I made, I couldn't save her. And I couldn't save you either. I don't know what the right answer is... Maybe... I thought when this first started, that I was being given some kind of gift. But... Maybe this is just my punishment. To see all the ways you'll die, without ever getting to save you. I don't know what to do."

"Munakata..."

"You don't know what it is to live while everything goes wrong around you, knowing that it's your fault."

"You're wrong." He says, softly. "I do know what that feels like. I'm... I live that. Every day..."

"...?"

"I... I've got something that I need to tell you. It's something I've kept to myself for a while but... You weren't wrong to think I was Despair."

"...You're not one of them." Munakata states definitively. "I know that."

"No, but I deserve what you did to me in that... that... timeline. I deserve that. Because... I betrayed you." He admits, again. Munakata does remember something like that from one of the past failed timelines. "I... Let's just leave it at that. Until we get out of here. I'll tell you all about it then."

"No. You'll tell me now." Munakata says gripping his arm. "...You've said that before, but there's... There's never been time. Please, just tell me now. If this repeats, I'll still never know. And I'll have to have the conversation again..."

"That..." Sakakura suddenly feels conflicted. This... This isn't how he wants to tell him. But... "...You're really putting me on the spot here."

"Sakakura. Please. Tell me."

"...I'm sorry. You're trapped in this repeating hell because of me. And..." And once he finds out, maybe he'll want to kill him. Maybe he won't want to save him. "...I'm sorry you're forced to save me. After what I did."

"Sakakura. Now." He narrows his eyes. "We're running out of time. If something happens once we're asleep and..."

"You..." Sakakura never expected it would be this difficult. But it does qualify as an emergency. "I..."

"...You can tell me. We're friends. Nothing you can say or do would... I won't abandon you."

Sakakura seethes. The feelings that he kept to himself... The words Enoshima had said to him that day... Everything that had happened as a result.

"I... I can only tell you so much."

"That's not acceptable at this point, Sakakura. People have died. You have died. Please..." Munakata stares at him, hard. "If there's something I don't know, I need to hear it."

"It won't help the present situation!"

"My goal is to keep you alive, and if you did betray me, then I have a right to know what you did and why! You've already died many times trying to keep me safe, shouldn't I be the one to know what all of that was for?!"

Hearing Munakata speak like this is rare. Hearing him raise his voice like this, or the way he makes such a demand... The way he acts out of desperation is...

Sakakura shudders before he turns to Munakata again, still shaking.

"...I... I knew." He says in a low voice. The words he's always wanted to say, and it was... going to be bad. He just knew it. "...I knew about Enoshima... I... told you she was innocent. But I knew she wasn't. It... It was my fault. I was never Despair but... I might as well have been."

...

If it weren't Sakakura who was saying this, he would... never believe it. But, is that what Tengan had meant...? That Sakakura had been tainted by Despair because he'd...

"You were... her accomplice?"

"Not because I wanted to! I fucking...! I would have...!" He cringes with anger before he nearly slams the wall with his fist. But he thinks better of it. "...I would have killed her myself. I definitely... definitely would have killed her myself if I'd gotten the chance..."

"...Why would you do such a thing?" Munakata's voice isn't angry. Confused, hurt. Maybe bewildered. But he can't allow himself to be given to anger right now, because he doesn't know the truth. And the last time he acted without knowing the truth, Sakakura... "...Tell me why, please."

"...She..." He can't bear to look him in the eyes. "...Enoshima knew my secret. She... She was blackmailing me. She had her claws in pretty much everyone. I don't know if she fucked with the Reserve Course kids too or she had them on her leash but... Nothing would surprise me. She... She knew. And she was going to tell you so I had to... betray you. I'm... I'm sorry."

"..." Stunned silence.

"If you want to kill me, go for it. I told you, I deserve what you did to me. The other me... would have thought so too. I deserve to be cast aside because of everything I've done to you... And... even after all of that... I still didn't have the courage to tell you. I'm... I'm such a fucking coward..."

"..." Munakata grips his hand tightly. "I'm not going to kill you."

Even if he wanted to - which he didn't - there'd be no point. They'd just be in the same situation again, and again. Seeing Sakakura struggle like this, filled with his own sense of Despair... How could he not want to help?

"You should. I screwed you over. I..."

"You paid the price with your life once. And now I'm here. I don't want you to sacrifice yourself because of a mistake."

"It wasn't a mistake. I did it of... of my own free will."

"You felt it was so bad that I would turn away from you. Perhaps that is why our fates are intertwined right now. Maybe something or someone wants us to make up."

"...Fuck if I know. I'm not really religious. Making you deal with this shit over and over is..."

"You've been living your own hell. Maybe this is mine. But... You were the one who told me not to give up now, yes? So, you can't either."

"I'm... I'm not giving up."

"Then stop offering your life to me as payment."

"But I..."

"If you're so eager to make amends, if your life is truly mine to do with as I please, then tell me... What... did she know that made you...?"

"..." He turns away. "I can't tell you."

"It's causing you pain. As your friend I can't let that stand. You don't need to hide from me. I told you, nothing you can do or say will make me abandon you."

"...Please. Don't make me say it. I can't... can't stand the idea of you looking at me like..."

The timer on the bangles was about to run out. If they were lucky, no one would die. If they were luckier, it would be someone dangerous that died... But...

"Sakakura. Please. You couldn't trust me then. Can you trust me now?"

...They had only less than thirty seconds left until they'd be forced to sleep.

"It... It... I want to but..." More silence.

"Tell me. Trust me. As I trust you."

Sakakura shakes as the timer counts down. If something does happen, it would be... like a missed opportunity again. It's...

"This isn't how I wanted to tell you but..." Staring at Munakata, who looks at him, so... expectantly. The way he... "...Kyosuke."

"Huh?" His first name?

There are less than seconds on the bangle now.

"Enoshima knew that... That I... I... To be... completely honest with you... I've..." He grimaces and looks down. "I'm in love with you... I've always been in love with you, Kyosuke...!"

"S-Sakakura...! You..."

The drowsiness hits them both and there's an awkward moment where they begin to stagger, Sakakura losing his footing and slumping to his knees.

Munakata slides down the wall again, as the pull of sleep drags him down.

Sakakura was in love with him? ...And... that was why...?

"m.... sorry..." Sakakura's words slur before he drops forward. His eyes, half-hooded by sleep staring at him. "...rgive... me..."

"Don't be..." Munakata goes to answer but Sakakura's eyes have closed. And his close soon after.

The weight of the confession would have to wait.


	4. Unknown Variables (Part 2 of 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Unknown Variables - Non-Zero-Sum Game**  
>  (Part 2 of 2)

When they wake up...

"Munakata..." Sakakura's concerned face looms over him as he wakes up.

"...Sakakura." He wipes the sleep from his eyes.

It was the first time he'd... actually slept since the whole ordeal began. It was very bizarre. His body showed no signs of fatigue, but his mind was exhausted from doing every ...timeskip... back to back.

For the first time in a long time, he felt like he had gotten some rest.

"Are...?" Sakakura offers a hand to help him up, but he's unable to ask his question.

There's a sense of anxiety behind his voice, as if he's waiting for the punch to be thrown.

Seeing that it's Sakakura's left hand that's offered, and that it's still got the bangle is...

The bangles are still on. Although this shouldn't have surprised him, there is a momentary flicker of doubt in his mind. According to the rules, if no one died after a period of sleep, weren't they free to go? It was supposed to go that way. Something like that anyway.

They'd been unprepared for a game that was never going to be fair, but those were the rules, right? If no one died by the time they woke up, they'd cleared the game... Right?

Then...

He takes Sakakura's hand and stands up, more concerned with the possibilities of what's going on outside their room than Sakakura's own anxiety.

Enoshima had stuck to the rules that she'd created, even to her own detriment. As far as evil went, it was surprisingly lawful of her. But she'd always wanted a stable battleground for Despair to win out over Hope. The rules were there to make people realize that Hope was futile... And that had worked against her.

But... Would Tengan also follow his own rules?

He'd been willing to send everyone into this game, orchestrate it, and even went so far as to create dialogue and Monokuma recordings, and get Mitarai invested in Hope. With Tengan, it was possible that this was Hope at all costs.

...Munakata had been that person. Hope at all costs was a dangerous way to be.

It was also what made him reluctant to call Tengan out and put his bangle to the test. If Tengan was really forbidden to lie...? ...But, that didn't mean he was going to answer the question. For now, it was best to avoid Tengan, and get Mitarai away from him as soon as possible.

Killing Tengan and Gekkogahara's robot counterparts hadn't been easy, but he'd done it. And he could do it again. He'd only need to get everyone else on his side first.

The hand on his shoulder makes him jump.

Sakakura has been staring at him, concerned.

"What...?" He asks, surprised.

"...You're okay?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. My mind was miles away. I..."

"..." Sakakura stares at him uneasily.

Oh. He's... He's waiting for an answer or a response to... A love confession?

"...You..." Munakata furrows his brow. "I wasn't imagining what you said, right? You..."

"No. You weren't imagining it. I..." He finds himself blushing, despite the seriousness of the situation. "...I've been in love with you. Please, don't make me say it again. I've... I've got pride, you know."

"..." It wasn't as if he hadn't suspected that there might be something between them. He wasn't completely oblivious, but it felt... like it was not something he should mention. Like bringing it to the forefront would have damaged their friendship, especially if it was untrue. What would Sakakura have done if he'd preempted the confession? "Then it's true. You're in love with me. That was what she knew."

"...Yeah. Enoshima..." He looks at him, intensely. "She... She found out. She had pictures of... Well... Anyway. She... would've told you and..."

"It's alright." Munakata places his hand on Sakakura's arm. "She can't hurt you now. I'm... I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"You're... not... grossed out by me?"

"Huh? Why...? Why would I be?"

"Because..." Munakata's reaction was nothing like how he'd anticipated it would be. Nothing like how he'd practiced in his head. "...Because a guy just confessed his love to you. That... doesn't bother you?"

"..." Munakata smiles sadly before he hugs Sakakura tightly, and he feels Sakakura tense up in his embrace. "Never. You're my best friend, Sakakura. And... you're the only one I have left. Your feelings don't change my mission... I will save you."

...

This was what Sakakura wanted to confess to him before...? When he'd stabbed him...?

No. He'd never let that happen again. He'd never become that way again. He'd never become Hope at all costs. Not like Tengan. Not again.

When Sakakura hugs back, Munakata's sure he can feel tears dampening his shirt but... It's fine. None of this was his fault. And this had been a hard road for him.

"...Thank you."

"Right now, the choices and mistakes of the past don't matter. All that matters is what we do now. That's what this whole thing has taught me. When we get out of here... I'll listen to everything you have to say. And I promise you, I won't turn away."

"Yeah. Okay... So... We just gotta figure out... How we get out of here?"

"...Actually." He releases Sakakura from the hug as he wipes his eyes as discretely as possible. "I'm worried about Kirigiri's group."

"Huh?"

"...We've still got the bangles on."

They'd asked Kirigiri, Naegi, Asahina, Bandai, and Mitarai to go for the breakers. It also meant Kizakura wasn't likely to be far behind.

"Yeah. You're right. Why... Why didn't we go with them, by the way?"

"..." Munakata takes a deep breath. "In one timeline, Ando and Izayoi get suspicious because they see so many of us group up together. They shadow us, and Ando thinks we're going to leave the playing field, which is her NG code. She assumes we've found an exit... She's even worse when Kimura's with us, which is why I didn't ask her to go with them. But... It usually ends with casualties, regardless."

"That... You said that's one timeline... How... How many have there been?"

"I've lost count. But this seemed like the wisest course of action. Naegi and Kirigiri trust each other, as does Asahina. And Bandai needs people to look after him in his condition. Mitarai can't be left alone. Kizakura does what he wants... Gozu won't leave Tengan's side..." He shakes his head. "It's like a kind of puzzle. There must be a solution, but every time I try something new, new consequences pop up."

"...I'm sorry. I wish I was better at puzzles. But... Maybe next time you should take Gozu and Tengan with you to the breakers. I... I mean if there is a next time." He scratches his head. "Not that there will be. I'm... I'm just saying."

"...?" He quirks a brow. "Why Tengan?"

"Because Tengan's the mastermind. If you're trying to force him to show his hand, that's a way to do it. You... You'll have a hard time discrediting him conventionally. But if you get Gozu on your side, that's..."

"Tengan is plenty strong on his own, believe me."

"Yeah, but if you get Gozu to doubt him, then it's an ally. Or you can ask Ando and Izayoi along. Keep your enemies close. Let the heroes stay heroes."

"..." It's something to think about. "Thank you, Sakakura. I'll... I'll consider it. But, with any luck, it won't be necessary."

"And... I'm sorry. For... all the touchy feely stuff. You just lost Yukizome and all. You shouldn't have to deal with my feelings on top of it."

"..." Munakata takes a deep breath. "...I've had to see her dead and removed from the chandelier so many times, I think if I let myself feel anything about that it might break me. Either that, or I'm... desensitized to it entirely. It's stopped feeling real. Or I've accepted it. I'm not sure."

"Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't even think."

"Don't worry about it. I feel like I understand you more." There's a small nagging question in the back of his mind. "...How long?"

"Huh? How long...?"

"No, how long have you had feelings for me?"

"..." There's a moment of panic that crosses his face and... "It's... Well... Since school... Since before we graduated."

"I must have been hurting you all this time. Not considering your feelings. I hope you can forgive me."

"You haven't done anything to apologize for! I'm the one who fell in love with you, it's my fault!"

"...That's hardly something you can control." He places his hand on Sakakura's chest. "And it is flattering."

"..." Sakakura's heart nearly skips a beat.

"In any event, we should go to the breaker. We need to see what's been going on."

. . . 

Moving towards the breaker room is... panic-inducing. He subtly lags behind Sakakura a few steps, if only to have him in his line of sight while they walk. Seeing him there, within reach, helps him distinguish running through the halls after him. That memory will haunt him far more than any other.

Although, he'd thought the same of Yukizome.

...Maybe if he'd been forced to relive running to him on repeat, it would lose its sting.

And...

He wasn't sure he wanted that. The idea of becoming numb to the deaths of his friends was... That feeling of becoming numb already to the situation was haunting. Letting himself be hurt and grieve for them... It felt healthier than trying to numb himself to it.

What they see next is...

Sakakura covers his mouth, suddenly going pale.

There's... a body.

Kizakura stands there by the body, shaking visibly. Naegi is catatonic, eyes red, tears drying on his cheeks. Kimura has tried in vain to resurrect her. She's trembling with anger... useless again.

"What... What happened...?"

Munakata steps closer.

Kirigiri... is dead...? How...? This... had never happened before... so... why?

The sound of Gekkogahara's wheelchair whirring fills his ears. They're followed by Mitarai who's leading Bandai (still blindfolded), and... Ando and Izayoi come next.

"Someone tell me what happened!" Munakata raises his voice.

"...The attacker." Kimura says weakly. "...Got Kirigiri."

Kirigiri has her wrists slashed and the neck is slashed as well. There's a kind of precision to it that Munakata recognizes. Knowing that it's suicide makes it easier to read the scene somehow. This... Something had happened that made her do this to herself.

His attention turns to a monitor, right by her. Untouched.

Had she not had the chance to break it before...?

"...This... This is wrong." Ando says shaking. "This isn't... She... She was there with us when...?"

"Hm. Something is wrong." Izayoi nods.

"Tell me what you know." Munakata stares at Ando, hard.

"W-Well... They... They were..." She's clearly shaken by something.

It's Bandai's voice that starts up, high and squeaky.

"We were going to the breaker room like you said, Munakata. But Ando and Izayoi got upset when we tried to open the door. I... I didn't really what happened next. My eyes were shut tighter than a frog's nest!"

...

Just like a different timeline. Ando thought they were escaping the field.

"...Ando, explain."

"Well... There... There was an altercation but..." She sighs. "We were..."

"You don't need to mention your NG code. Just tell me what happened."

She flinches and covers her arm reflexively.

"...We got into a fight. Kirigiri... She... She... That room was..." She shakes her head. "And then that swimmer girl got in my face, and I just got so mad... We were having it out and then... I..."

Ando looks like she's on the verge of breaking.

"You punched her?!" Munakata's voice raises. Izayoi moves in front of Ando as if to protect her, but he sees her nod.

That was Asahina's NG code. It meant... Two people had died...

...No wonder Naegi was unresponsive. He'd... He'd lost the two people closest to him in this game. Two of his best friends. Munakata can only feel sympathy. Yukizome and Sakakura... He'd... been through that pain. And Naegi wasn't the same kind of person he was. This... This would be harder to recover from.

"But... But we fell asleep together!" Ando says loudly. "Asahina was dead, but Kirigiri was... She... She was going for help but... But she didn't make it this far!"

"...Ha-wa-waaah..." Gekkogahara's monitor chirps with Monomi's voice. "Th-This is too cruel...! Too unthinkable!"

"Then... the attacker... pulled Kirigiri away while she was sleeping..." Kimura grimaces, still shaking with anger.

"But why would anyone do that?" Bandai asks.

...

Of course. Neither of them knew. Nor did Ando or Izayoi. They still believed there was an attacker. It was safe to say everyone in the room aside from himself and Sakakura knew that the attacker wasn't really another person, it was suicide.

And regardless, everyone here was beholden to the bangles and being put to sleep at specific times.

All... except Gekkogahara.

"...Gekkogahara, did you find Kirigiri?" He asks, keeping his voice neutral. Sakakura tenses up, which means he's understood, but he hopes Sakakura can keep it to himself for now.

"Wha what? No..." The rabbit answers.

"I did." Kizakura answers. There's no way he's okay. His voice is barely above a whisper. "Kimura and Gekkogahara came next... And I sent Gekkogahara to find the others. Shutting off the breakers... She always did have a sharp mind. She'd... always find solutions to things that no one else would think of."

"..." Munakata walks over to Naegi. He's... just vacant there. But, it does give him an opening. "Gekkogahara, can we speak alone?"

"Huh?" The rabbit asks.

"...Naegi isn't doing too well. I'd like your professional opinion. But we shouldn't talk openly."

"Hey... Munakata." Sakakura looks to him.

"It'll only be a moment. Stay here. Look after Bandai."

Silently, he's glad he hasn't given his sword to Sakakura. It would look suspicious if he took a sword back from him just to speak to someone in a wheelchair of all things. Little did they all know.

...

They move further our of earshot and Munakata stops.

"Munakata...?" Monomi asks, concerned.

"Tell me, what do you think of Naegi's chances of bouncing back from this."

"...Hweeeh..." The rabbit seems to be mourning. "He's suffered a serious trauma... It might be difficult... But, we can do it with Love and Hope!"

"...I see." He tries to wrap his mind around what kind of creature could behave this way. "Love and Hope, you say."

"That's right! Love and Hope are the only constants in this world, aside from change! They'll set you free!"

"...Is that what will set us free? How troubling, then."

"Ha-wa-wah?"

"That seems to be in short supply these days."

"Munakata... How are you feeling after... everything that's happened?"

"...You're asking me about Yukizome?"

"She was the love of your life. But you must persevere! For her sake!"

He tries not to let the anger boil in his throat.

"...Would it surprise you to know that Yukizome isn't the reason I'm here right now...? Because... There is so much left to lose. Not that you would understand."

"...Give him time. He'll bounce back! I believe that! He'll move forward, no matter what! Even... Even if it's lonely... He... He'll be able to go forward!"

"You really believe that...?"

"Of course! Love and Hope! If you can't move forward because of Hope, move forward for Love! And if you can't move forward because of Love, move forward in the Hope of finding it!"

"..." Now he's really not sure what they're talking about. "What happens when you have neither?"

"Hweh?"

"...When you have nothing left but regrets, how do you move forward from that?" 

He honestly didn't know. If anything, he'd only moved backwards.

"Munakata... All is not lost!"

"...Yes, I didn't expect you'd have an answer. I don't have one either. However... There is a question that you'll definitely be able to answer."

"What... What is it...?" The rabbit seems to anticipate something serious.

"...Why did you kill Kirigiri like that?"

"Ha-wah?! ...I... I'm a good girl! I would never!"

"When everyone was sleeping, you went and pulled her towards a monitor." He says simply. "Was it because you realized there was no attacker...? Did you see everyone else asleep? ...Did you hack something and find out Tengan's plan...? Why is a person like you here to interfere...?"

"..."

"Is it that you were bored that you infiltrated the Future Foundation? Or did you plan on corrupting us from the inside after you killed Gekkogahara? ...Did you want to see how much we knew, or what our plans were? ...Did you go through all of our files and stumble onto Tengan's plans...? I can't say I really understand your motives, but, you're the only person who could have done this."

"You're... You're having a mental collapse! I... I was asleep, remember?"

"...No. I don't remember. But I assume you would be asleep if that were a human body. If I cut you open, will I find blood or machine parts? How would you feel about letting me simply run the blade along your hand. If you bleed, I'll apologize however you want. Otherwise..."

"..."

"I imagine you got bored. Was the game going to end because no one was the attacker? So you just picked someone to sacrifice to continue the game? You figured out it was the monitors by accident? Or did you simply hack your way through it and drop her there on purpose? Either way... I'm not sure when you replaced the real Gekkogahara, but... You've always been someone who was never going to make it out of here alive."

 _"You talk too much."_ A high-pitched girl's voice answers. It's not Gekkogahara, and it's not Monomi. It's... whoever's controlling the robot. _"Even though you dress like that, you're not as dumb as you look!"_

The wheelchair begins to transform, and probably something worse would happen, but Munakata gives a horizontal slash with his sword and the robotic head dislodges and flies through the air before rolling onto the ground. A vertical slice cuts through the body, bisecting it down the middle. Mechanical parts squeal and drone before screeching to a halt. The two halves of machinery tip over to either side.

"...When I get out of here, I'll find out who you are. And I'll hunt you down."

_"What? Over already? Oh man that's super laaaaaaame! Too bad your little Hopester friend is go-"_

Munakata plunges his sword into the robotic head. There's a brief sound of electronic feedback or some sort of short circuiting, but the head falls silent.

"..." Munakata turns. Kizakura looks on, confused, but... somehow not surprised.

"Well. That... makes as much sense as anything else around here." He says somberly. Not enough alcohol in the world to dull his heartache now. Still with his left hand clenched. "...I did have a bad feeling about that one."

"Kizakura." He looks to Kizakura quietly.

"...So... What tipped you off about her?"

"..."

"Come on. You can tell me. I've... I've spent some time around detective types. They're really kind of a pain, you know. Too smart for the room. But then they miss stupid things. Like... people. And how they'll feel. Tell me your secret."

"There's no secret."

"You turn Clairvoyant on me? Maybe that should've been your Super High School Level title." He gives a weak chuckle. "You seem like your predictions are way more accurate than that hippie's."

"..."

"You told her to go to the breakers, because you knew that would shut things down... They didn't actually get a chance to shut them down, but you're the one who told her about it, right...?"

"That's right."

"And you were able to pick the poor little girl in a wheelchair out of a lineup of possible murderers... Can't say that would have been any normal person's first choice."

Munakata watches him. And Kizakura continues to watch him back.

"...I told you, there's no secret."

"And I call bullshit. What's that big boss brain got in there, huh? ...You figure out who set this up?"

"...Tengan."

"Hm. Well. I wouldn't bet against you, that's for sure." There's something cat-like about the way he's being watched by Kizakura. Something like... mistrust. Or anguish.

"..."

"Nothing to say?"

"I have nothing you need to know."

"Alright. How about what I _want_ to know? ...I mean, it's no secret that you were always gunning for being the Headmaster. Even he realized what you were after. So... Where'd you get all your info from?"

"My info...?"

"Unless you really are the Clairvoyant, there's no way you should know what you do."

"I didn't send her to her death, if that's what you're implying. I... didn't know that would happen."

"..." Kizakura seems to be examining him. "And why should I believe that?"

"...Because I know some things, but not how other things will play out."

"I'm gonna need you to spell that out for me. I'm stupid and all. Use small words."

"...It's..." He shakes his head. "It's a very long and unbelievable story."

"Hey, I'm gullible. And we've got time."

...

Telling Kizakura was... definitely a novel experience. Even when Kizakura wanted to doubt him, Munakata would say something uncanny that he couldn't ignore.

It also helped that Munakata wasn't the type to say such ridiculous things. That did lend credence to the story. But, mostly it was the way he told the story and how everyone had reacted under the various circumstances that the alternate timeline presented... That was what made it real to him.

"...I told you, it's hard to believe."

"Yeah. It is. But... She believed you, huh? ...And Naegi. And Sakakura, too."

"Yes. Although she was the most skeptical."

"Sounds like her." He nods quietly. "Well. Then you're here to get Sakakura out of here alive. Huh. My, my. What a harlequin romance that will be."

"..." Munakata ignores that comment. There's a look that he communicates that says it's in poor taste.

"What? No heart eyes for the Boxer? ...Not that it's any of my business."

"No. It isn't."

"I hope he actually confessed to you. It's getting damn painful to watch you two skirt around it... But you don't look surprised. Did he tell you this time, or did you figure it out in a past incarnation?"

...

Of course Kizakura could see it. The man was a drunk and an idiot, but being nosey was his specialty.

"Leaving that aside, we need to focus on getting out of here now."

"Yeah. You're right. Getting out alive is the most important thing..."

"...Will you be alright?"

There's an uneasy sigh.

"I honestly don't know."

"I'm... sorry."

"You know, your story's pretty unbelievable. Sounds like a movie. But... There are robots and apocalyptic subplots so... What do I know...? Still... You know what sold me on it? What made me think you weren't just bullshitting me...?"

"...No. What?"

"It was you. Lone survivor. Wishing you could do something to take it all back and start over. And... somehow someway, some... thing, or whatever, grants you your wish. Of course, it sounds like a fairy tale, but stranger things have happened. So... You had the day from hell, lost everything you ever worked for, and everyone who ever worked with you for that dream... And you got a mystical second chance."

"And that sold you on my story?"

"...Not the story. It was how you looked saying it. Because..." He gives a small, empty, fragile smile. "I feel that too. I got asked by someone to look after her in case of emergency. I lost someone important to me, and he still put her first. And now, I don't know how I'll ever be able to look him in the face when I die... Knowing I failed him when it counted."

"...Kirigiri's death wasn't your fault."

"No, maybe not. I certainly didn't stab her and leave her to bleed out over some generators..."

"...!"

That hurt. A surge of anger and guilt. But Kizakura continues.

"But... I wasn't able to save her. And I broke my promise. Again. I couldn't help her during the first killing game at Hope's Peak... and... I was even the one who scouted her in the first place. I'm the one who put her there, and then... I couldn't help her out of it. But she lived. And... now I couldn't protect her again. And she's dead for real. It's... a pretty fucking terrible day. And... nothing I could have done would have fixed it. It was all just rotten luck. How do you do it...?"

"How do I do what?"

"...You said you lived through a bunch of failed timelines. You want to save him that bad? Sakakura, I mean?"

"I do. Sakakura... deserves to live. And I'm the only one who can save him now. He died for my sake. And I didn't believe in him when it counted. He died thinking I cast him aside... he told me was fine with that, as long as I lived. That's what he wanted. Wants. It's hard to keep track. But I want him to live too. That's why I'm doing this. Our situations are somewhat different, but you can understand it, I take it."

"...Yeah. I couldn't save him... Jin."

"I can't save Yukizome. But I can at least... save him. And anyone else I possibly can."

"...Then we understand each other perfectly."

Kizakura nods.

The next part happens so fast, Munakata can barely comprehend what's happening; Kizakura pulls the sword from Gekkogahara's robotic head and lunges forward, plunging the sword through Munakata's abdomen up to the hilt.

The... pain is immense, but quickly fades to cold and shock. Spitting up blood in confusion, spattering Kizakura's shirt.

"Ghh....!"

"...It's a little too symbolic. Maybe. Sorry about that. Wasn't my intention." Kizakura watches the blood spill from him, red spreading and consuming the white fabric. "...But... I need you to save her. Next time. This is the only thing I can do to save her. I'm sorry."

"Nnn..." Munakata feels himself starting to lose consciousness. Or... Maybe it's the life seeping out of him with the blood.

Kizakura pulls the sword from him and more blood escapes, leaving a bloody red mess over the floor. Kizakura catches him before he hits the floor.

Pain takes a back seat to surprise.

"Truth is... I do believe you. I... I don't know if I'm going to be forced to live this timeline alone, without her. And without Jin. And... being your murderer. But if there's a chance that in one timeline, she gets to live... I'll... I'll deal with this life, and the consequences for that. I'm not good for much, but she's my responsibility... you know?"

"Ki... zakura..."

"I know. It's not fair. And I'm being selfish here. But, could I ask you to save her for me next time? It... It would mean a lot. Sacrifice me if you have to. That's fine. Sacrifice me, execute me, get rid of me... Whatever it takes. But... I want her to live."

There's a moment where they really do understand each other. Even as the light is fading around him. And he can't feel his legs. He... manages to nod.

"Y-Yes..."

"And... for the record... You could do a lot worse than Sakakura. When you take him out of here... And Kyoko too... Think it over for his sake, huh?"

...

The world grows dim and...

* * *

...

Just as before.

Yukizome. Chandelier.

Sakakura in front of him, worried.

Only now... He's feeling nauseous. It's hard to breathe.

"What's wrong?" Sakakura asks and places a heavy hand on his shoulder. There's a sudden look of regret on his face. "...Shit, I'm sorry. Of... Of course you're not okay right now. I'm... I'm sorry about Yukizome."

Munakata nearly tumbles into him, still reeling from having been stabbed in that... other timeline.

"Sa... Sakakura..."

"Fuck, what..." Sakakura is now holding him up. "H-Hey... Okay... You're okay. Come on. Let's... Let's get you some air. Or... You wanna sit down? Let's sit you down..."

"...It's alright." Munakata manages to say in a whisper. "...I forgive you."

"H... Huh?"

He looks to Kizakura, who is just as confused as everyone else in the room. Before he forgets he manages to remember to remove his tie, and hand it to Bandai to blindfold himself, and Bandai is happy as always.

"...Let's... step outside for a moment." He says, trying to contain the dizziness. "I... I think we need to talk about things. More things than last time."

"W... What? Last time?" Sakakura is very worried for him. And Munakata can see that clearly. 

He'll worry less when he's been brought up to speed. He always worries less after that.

"I think I understand you better. I'll explain everything. Let's go outside for now, alright?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've heard of Bad Ending... Now get ready for Dad Ending!
> 
> (Also I forgot to mention this, but Samsara is the Buddhist term for the cycle of reincarnation, commonly depicted as a wheel, hence the title of the fic)


	5. Tragedy of Errors (Part 1 of 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> **Tragedy of Errors - Chaos Theory**  
>  Part 1 of 2

Another timeline, another retelling of everything that had happened. And as usual, Sakakura is...

"Wait... I know this is all old news to you but..." Sakakura sighs as they've shut themselves up in a room, after breaking the monitor. "This is the first time I'm hearing all of this."

"...But you believe me." 

Munakata is asking, but it doesn't sound like a question. Surprisingly, Sakakura was the one who always believed him, even in the lack of evidence.

He'd lived through a handful of other timelines now after Kizakura had stabbed him. He kept getting further. But Sakakura would always try and protect him, to his own detriment. That was how things normally ended. It was frustrating, but also... flattering. His protective instincts towards Sakakura continued to develop as he went along.

Having someone who loved him... and wanted him to live, no matter what...

It certainly put things in perspective. He was a lot like Yukizome in that way.

But... He didn't want to lose Sakakura. He couldn't lose him again. Especially not when Yukizome was beyond saving.

...

This time around, he'd decided to experiment with the timeline, and ask Tengan and Gozu to go to the breakers. It would be interesting to see how far Tengan was willing to keep up the charade. Although he also wanted to go, he knew Sakakura would be reluctant to leave him alone after everything he'd said.

The Chairman and Vice Chairman going off together with their bodyguards... There was no way Ando wouldn't see that as her superiors trying to escape the area. At best, she would just think they were trying to escape. At worst, she'd come to the conclusion that this was some kind of sick test designed by the leaders of the Future Foundation.

He'd been very careful to keep Mitarai with Kirigiri and Kizakura, and Gekkogahara with Ando and Izayoi. His biggest threats he'd need to have watched by people capable of keeping things under control. 

Naegi, Asahina, Bandai, and Kimura were also a stabilizing element. They could help break monitors, and also peacefully interact and coordinate with other groups. 

Speaking with Sakakura... That was his own plan. It seemed to work better if he wasn't actively trying to force the situation until the bangles came off. When they did, Mitarai wouldn't feel like he was with enemies... And Ando and Izayoi would have no reason to be hostile.

His only real concern was with Gozu, who was strong, but if Tengan's plot was revealed, he wasn't entirely sure how he'd react. In all his dealings with Gozu, and even when interacting with him in the confines of the game, he was someone who believed in Hope. Unfortunately, Gozu served Tengan and believed he was Hope.

Gozu wasn't exactly wrong, but there was no way he'd stand by Tengan if he knew the extent he was willing to go to. If he reacted that strongly to the idea that Naegi should have been killed for the sake of Hope, then there was no way Gozu would believe putting so many of their lives at risk for Hope would ever be the way to go.

More and more, he was starting to understand the variables. He just didn't know how to deal with them when they came up in new ways.

...

Sakakura looks at him. He sees that Munakata is lost in thought, trying to solve the puzzle again.

Slowly, Munakata looks back to him.

"You didn't answer the question." He states simply.

"That... That was a question?"

"Yes. You believe me, right?" He asks more definitively. "You believe what I've said, right?"

"I... Yeah. But... It still sounds really..."

"..." Munakata looks to him. "I can offer you some proof. Although, nothing substantial. I could tell you everyone's NG codes, explain Tengan's plan as best as I understand it... And... There were things that you told me in other timelines."

"...Things I told you? What did I say?"

"..." Munakata takes a deep breath. He really doesn't want to force the conversation, but... "The reason you betrayed me."

"...!"

Sakakura looks like he's turning purple.

"We talked about it before, but I told you about how I stabbed you in that one timeline. And about how I thought you were Despair. Eventually, you told me that I was right to mistrust you, and that you'd deserved it for betraying me to Enoshima."

"...That..."

"That's not something I would know under ordinary circumstances, right?" Munakata's words are calm but he sees that Sakakura seems to be nervous now. "...It's alright. I told you... or, the other you, that as well. Your reasons don't offend me. And I was glad that you told me. It must have been painful."

"You... You know everything then...?"

"More or less. Enoshima blackmailed you because of your feelings for me. And you were obliged to keep quiet about her."

"..." The way he says it so casually. Sakakura can only gape in astonishment and dismay. "I'm... I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. I've already accepted that it happened." He takes a quiet moment to place his hand on Sakakura's shoulder. "I know this is very strange, and I'm not reacting organically... I've heard you apologize in other timelines, and it's always sincere. You can continue to apologize, but I've already forgiven you. And your feelings towards me will never change our friendship."

"...I..." Sakakura looks like he wants to say something more, but isn't really sure what. "...I wish I'd told you."

"...I'm sorry. I took away your choices. But... I also didn't want you to feel like there was any reason to hide from me. If I said it was alright, and told you I knew... You wouldn't have to hide it anymore. If it makes you feel any better, there are timelines when you tell me. And you're very brave."

"Don't... say things that are out of character." He says turning away. Munakata can see him blushing. "It doesn't suit you."

Sakakura looks like he feels lighter somehow. He hopes it helps. But there is something on his mind now.

"..." There's a moment of silence between them. "...Why, though?"

"Huh? Why... Why what?"

"Why... do you like me?" It's not a question he'd considered asking before. He really doesn't know. "You'd said you liked me since high school, but..."

"...I said that, huh."

"Yes."

"...It's kind of a weird feeling. To be beaten by myself." He says to nobody in particular. "I guess I'm not a fucking coward in some timelines..."

"You're not a coward in any timeline, Sakakura."

"..." It was nice of him to say. He didn't really believe it though. "Why do you want to know that?"

"Because I've never heard it before."

"It's... It's embarrassing. Can't we just... leave that alone?" He says, now grumbling. "It's bad enough you know at all, and that I couldn't say it when our lives weren't at stake."

"If this timeline goes wrong, won't you feel bad for not having said it?" Munakata's voice is... gloomy. Repentant. "When I ran for you, when I thought you... might still be alive... When I finally found you and... There were things I wanted to say to you, too. But I was too late."

"Munakata..."

"I'm sorry that this feels forced. If we had more time, I would have liked to have had this conversation at our leisure. But, we cannot wait until we think we're ready... Or... I don't know if that makes sense. But that's the feeling I get."

"..." He crosses his arms. "I honestly don't get the words, but... I do get what you mean."

"Won't you tell me, then?"

"It's... It's not complicated." Sakakura looks uncomfortable. Like he'd rather not be having this conversation with anyone, let alone him. "But it's just you. I like you. There's no big reason."

"That can't be all there is to it."

"No, I mean, it's you. The way you are. I... I don't have much of a purpose outside of being your guard dog. I gave up boxing for you, joined Hope's Peak as security for you, then we dropped that and went to Future Foundation... It's always been for you. That's who you are. And... I like who you are."

"...I... don't really understand it."

"If you want your good qualities, it's your drive and passion I admire. The way you go for something and work towards it. I've only ever really been an athlete so I get the idea of working towards a goal and all, but... The way you shape the world around you, just by being there. You were always like that. Even when you were Student Council President."

"..." It's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to him.

"It's... It's just you, you know? How can I not... like you...? I see the way you move mountains to get shit done. And the way you inspire people. Not like Naegi." He says Naegi's voice as if he tasted something bitter. "All he knows how to do is talk about it. But you walk the walk, if that makes sense. You're the one who's been working for it. You're the one who deserves to be the Super High School Level Hope... Not him. Even if he did beat Enoshima, he's... He doesn't know how hard you work. He doesn't have your ambition or your vision."

"Thank you for saying so. I don't always believe it myself."

"Well, you should. I know you're kind of modest and reserved and all, but... No one else's vision of Hope makes sense. Not even Tengan's. The way you are. The way you talk, and the way you try to do things. I just... I like that. More... More than that, I'm... I'm selfish."

"Selfish?"

"...I... I like myself when I'm around you. I don't always like who I am. But with you, I'm happy. I feel like I've got purpose and I know what I'm doing. Even though you're more uptight than you used to be - no offense - I still... I still feel like I'm a better me around you. A better version of myself. Like, I want to make you proud. You make me want to be better. You... make me want to be better for my own sake, as well as yours. So... I'm selfish. It's all for me. But... I just... I like who you are. And I want that for myself. I want... you for myself."

There's a kind of wonderment that passes Munakata's face, eyes wide in surprise. Even Sakakura seems surprised to have said something so personal and embarrassing. But...

"Sakakura. Thank you."

"...S-Shit... I'm sorry. I just went on and on..." He's blushing nervously. "I didn't mean to say all that but... I couldn't stop myself. I only wish I could've said it myself."

"You're saying it now."

"...But, anyway. You're the one who's going to change the world. I'm... I'm glad you're here. That's why you're the one I want to live most of all."

"It doesn't work like that."

"No, but... You're the one who's going to do it. I've always believed that. It's why I don't mind laying down my life for you."

"...Don't say that."

"I can't help it, it's the truth. That's how I really feel."

"Sakakura. Do not say that."

"But-"

"Sakakura!" His voice booms temporarily before... the next part starts to waver. "...Don't you understand that... I want you to live too? It doesn't work when I'm alone. I lost all of you... Yukizome, and you. I had nothing left, Sakakura. And everything I worked for... was gone. But don't you understand...? I... I need you to live. Not just to end this, but for me. The world still needs you. I need you."

"...Munakata... I... I didn't mean to..." Sakakura looks happy, and embarrassed. And astounded, he reaches forward and hugs Munakata almost too tightly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm not planning to die. But if I've got to, then dying for you's not a bad way to go."

"...You're not allowed to die."

"I don't need your permission."

"You definitely do." He musters a laugh as he hugs him back. "...And besides, whatever's forcing me to relive this over and over won't let you or me die. However, my goal is to save everyone I possibly can."

"...If anyone can do it, you can." Sakakura starts to let go of the hug. "I guess this isn't all bad. I... I wish Yukizome didn't have to die, but... I did get to tell you how I feel."

"I think wherever she is, she's also proud of you."

"...I don't know. I hope so, but she..." Sakakura looks away and begins to lean back against the wall. "...I hope she can forgive me. For liking the same person she did."

"She wouldn't let that get in the way of being proud of you. That's the kind of person she was."

"Yeah. You're probably right. She always was better at being in love than I was..." He mumbles under his breath. "Not that I wished her any harm but she was way less jealous, I'm sure."

"It's not that. She... Yukizome... the real Yukizome... cared. That's all it is. Even if you made her angry somehow, she still cared about you. Even if she was jealous, she still wished you well."

"...Yeah. She... always was a better person than me." Sakakura says bitterly. "Though, maybe we're more similar... I... didn't want to share you with her either."

"..." Munakata isn't sure what to say to that. His next words are barely audible. "...I've always been causing you two problems, haven't I."

The time limit is running out. The bangles still haven't come off... which means that either Tengan and Gozu were distracted by something, or... something else has happened.

But, with any luck, it isn't too serious, or Tengan or Gekkogahara have been unable to make their move. 

The two of them sit against the wall together.

The timer has about twenty seconds left.

"Hey. Just so you know..." Sakakura gives him a serious look. "...Just because everything resets if we die, doesn't mean you should do careless shit."

"...I know."

"Good. Yukizome would seriously come back from the dead to kick my ass if I didn't keep you from doing anything risky."

"I'll try not to make you worry."

"...You're not alone. I can't really do much, and I'm not as smart as you, but I'm going to make sure you get out of this too."

"I trust you." Munakata gives Sakakura's arm a squeeze. "No matter what."

As the timer signals the end of the time limit, drowsiness overtakes them. He can feel Sakakura's body start to go limp with sleep, and he knows it's the same for him. There's... a look that Sakakura is giving him, like he wants to say something else.

But they're both too tired to finish their thoughts. Sakakura's head slumps forward, and Munakata's own head starts to droop until it lightly lands on Sakakura's broad shoulder. He makes a very comfortable pillow, Munakata thinks with a clouded head.

The hood of his jacket provides a soft cushion and the synethic material of the jacket rustles against itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we lean further into romance territory~
> 
> I'm estimating that the fic will be between 10-13 chapters total? Something like that.


	6. Tragedy of Errors (Part 2 of 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  **Tragedy of Errors - Theoretically, Chaos**  
>  Part 2 of 2
> 
> \- - - 
> 
> Note: This is a sad-ish chapter so if you cry easily (like me) don't read this in public. I'm serious, I may have boo-hoo'd right into this chapter directly.
> 
> But remember, this fic will have a happy ending and don't cry too hard!

Waking up again is hard, partly because he really just doesn't want to move. There's something very relaxing about just sitting there, and dozing off on...

On...?

Briefly he feels the arm he's been sleeping on and feels Sakakura tense up underneath him. As he leans back, he can see Sakakura is staring at him, a little red-faced and embarrassed.

"...Were you awake?" Munakata asks, rubbing his eyes.

"O-Only for a little bit... Not long..." He waits for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Only tired. You were... comfortable."

"...Thanks."

Sakakura stands and quickly lets Munakata up.

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"We should see what's happened."

"Huh?"

"If Gozu and Tengan didn't shut off the bangles, then something's happened to them. It's also possible that someone was killed by the suicide video..." He takes a breath. "Is it too much to hope for that no one died, and the game is over...?"

"You think Tengan would really let us all go if there's no attacker?" Sakakura's words are skeptical, and Munakata is inclined to agree.

"...I doubt it. He wasn't intending on something like this. Me." Munakata takes a deep breath again, shaking off the fatigue as much as he can. "Still, I wonder how much he suspected I knew something... I gave Bandai my tie... He knows I know the breakers would shut everything down..."

"Hey. You don't look too good."

"I'm just tired. I haven't exactly had much opportunity for sleep. I... I still think I might be going crazy."

"If you are, I guess I'll just have to carry you." Sakakura laughs.

He finds himself smiling, regardless of the situation.

"If this is just a delusion, then I'm glad you're here with me. Delusion or no. It would be too terrible to consider life without you."

"..." Sakakura turns away, trying to hide his blush. "If you've got energy to wax philosophy, you've got energy to keep moving. Unless you do want me to carry you."

"Maybe later."

"...L-Later?!"

~ ~ ~

...

So far, everyone seems to be doing alright. Naegi, Kirigiri, Asahina, Bandai, Mitarai, Kimura, Kizakura... They're all safe this time. So is Gekkogahara's robotic form, although who knows what she's been doing during their nap. Ando and Izayoi are also alright.

That leaves just Tengan and Gozu.

"Ando. Izayoi. Come with me and Sakakura."

"Huh?" Sakakura looks to him. "Where are we going?"

"...They went towards the breakers. We need to see what's happened."

"..." Ando looks nervous at the prospect of being with the Vice Chairman and Sakakura. "Alright. But... is it safe?"

"Safe?" Sakakura sneers at her. "You think we're going to kill you?"

"Why not? There's an attacker on the loose!" She says accusingly. "Why couldn't it be one of you? You're the ones who know where they went!"

...

Ah. That's right. Ando believes there's an attacker among them still.

"There would only be one attacker, correct?" Kirigiri asks, with that placid smile as always. She knows what's going on, because Munakata told her about everything, but she's playing to Ando's insecurity. "If one person alone wakes up, then wouldn't it make more sense to kill the person nearest to you?"

"In other words, if I were the attacker, I would have killed Sakakura. And vice versa." He says calmly. "It's the same reason you trust Izayoi, yes?"

"That... He... He wouldn't betray me."

"We also trust Gekkogahara." Izayoi places his hand on Ando's shoulder as if to steady her.

"That's right. She... She didn't attack us either."

Probably because she was snooping around.

"Either way, that would mean that either Tengan or Gozu are the attacker... Isn't that right?" Naegi is trying to help.

Sakakura still can't help bristling at the sound of his voice. 

Munakata has a wry smile. Would he feel better or worse when he finds out it was because of Naegi that he'd learned he wasn't Despair, and had come running to him in the first place...? Probably worse.

"It... I... I guess."

"Izayoi will be there to protect you. Just in case." Munakata says in his best comforting voice. It must be jarring to hear him of all people speak this way. Hope at all costs had given way to a sense of True Hope.

"Alright." Ando agrees, reluctantly.

She must be worried about what might happen.

"Then for now, I suggest that we also look around." Kirigiri says to the rest of the group.

"Do... we split up...?" Kimura asks uncertainly.

"Although we can't say with absolute certainty that the attacker is Tengan or Gozu, we should be able to trust each other. At least somewhat."

Kirigiri, Kizakura, Bandai, and Mitarai make one group. Kimura, Asahina, Naegi, and Gekkogahara make the other.

In the end, their own group - Munakata, Sakakura, Izayoi, and Ando - is... more like two groups of two people.

...

The trip down to the breaker room still fills him with dread. Sakakura seems especially wary of his condition. Maybe the mental strain is getting to him after all. To start timeline over and over... His physical endurance is always replenished, but his memories and the experiences of the other timelines still carries over.

At this point, he's lost count. And it really does feel like he might be losing his mind. Maybe there is a good solution to be found, but... He's not sure what it is. And the more he tries to think about it, the more his head hurts.

"Hey. Keep up." Ando says barking at Munakata. She doesn't want to be the one in the lead. That feels like being led into a trap.

Munakata hasn't realized that he's been falling behind.

Sakakura looks to him and immediately goes over to help steady him. When did he becomes so wobbly?

It's as if his body is fully recovered, but it's like his mind hasn't been sleeping.

"You've got a fever." Sakakura says as he feels Munakata's forehead.

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine. We should go back and talk to Kimura!"

"...And what? You're going to make us go on our own?" Ando's voice is tainted by clear suspicion.

"No. Of course not." Munakata shrugs off Sakakura. "There isn't time for this. Let's hurry and go."

"...Munakata." He grips Munakata's arm tightly. "Don't push yourself too hard. Please."

"I'll be fine. I told you I'd save you." Was it him? Or was it another Sakakura...? He can't remember.

They aren't going as quickly as they should be. Munakata, for all his bluster, is slowing them down. And because Ando won't go alone, Munakata is forced to go at a glacial pace.

"Come on, really. We should head back." Sakakura says at last. "If you're not feeling up to it, this can wait. We just do what we did last time, right? Wait it out. None of us have to die."

"Until the traitor comes and kills us while we sleep!" Ando snaps at him.

"Would you shut up about that? There is no traitor!" 

...

The curtain of the charade falls, and even Sakakura realizes he's messed up as soon as he said it.

"How do you know that?" Izayoi stares at him dangerously.

"That's..."

"I knew it! You're... You're setting me up!" Ando glares. "You brought us out here to kill us!"

"If I were going to kill you, why would I bring him when he's in this bad of shape?"

"Because you're an idiot!"

"What did you say?!"

Sakakura and Ando are bearing down on each other, and Izayoi will quickly attack if he thinks Sakakura means to hurt her.

"That's enough. Both of you. Sakakura, come here." He says quickly. Sakakura would disagree, but Munakata plays up his illness to get Sakakura to hold him steady. "Ando, there is no traitor. There is no attacker. Tengan is the mastermind."

"You... You expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth. You're skeptical, I know. But Tengan... The monitors brainwash someone into killing themselves. There's no attacker. It's... It's only us."

"But Tengan... He's..." She struggles to decide if she accepts his words. "He's in here with us. You're lying!"

"...Tengan... the mastermind..." A gruff voice says rounding the corner. Izayoi and Sakakura move to attack position, but are forced to stop when they see Gozu stumbling by, covered in wounds and blood. "...Is... Is that true?"

"Gozu!" Sakakura nearly recoils.

"What happened." Izayoi asks coldly.

"I don't know... I..." He leaves a bloody smear on the wall as he walks. "Tengan and I were on our way but... Someone... attacked me. I didn't see who. It was only one strike but..."

"One strike?" Ando furrows her brows. "No one could do that to... to you."

"Someone did." Gozu isn't really the type to lie, all things considered. At least, not about this.

"Do you know who it was?" Munakata asks. "Can you guess?"

"...I'm not certain."

"...Well... There's Tengan and..." Sakakura looks to Munakata. "And the other one."

"Other one?" Ando quickly looks at him. "What else are you hiding?"

"Would you butt out? I wasn't talking to you."

"Stop. We musn't argue." Gozu says calmly. "No, I don't know who attacked me. But when I came to, Tengan was missing. I had thought... that it was someone else. Another person in this building with us."

"No. That's impossible." Munakata says simply, drawing on his own experiences. "No one else is in this facility but us."

"Then, if that is true... I could not hazard a guess."

"Did you wake up before or after the bangles put us to sleep?"

"...It must have been before. I know I lost consciousness again but... Was that the bangle's doing?"

"Could Tengan himself have attacked you and run off?" Sakakura asks, but he knows Gozu won't know.

"...I... I don't know." But it seemed like Gozu was ready to doubt.

"Had he been behaving strangely?" Munakata asks and Gozu looks to him. Even behind the mask, he can tell it's probably a look of disbelief. "...Ever since I asked you two to shut down the breakers. He's been just a little off. Hasn't he."

"Would someone please tell me what is happening?!" Ando shouts, and it echoes down the hall.

"Quit making noise, sugar queen." Sakakura glares, and she returns it.

"Sakakura. Stop." Munakata looks to her. "The mission hasn't changed. If we turn off the breakers, the bangles will be deactivated. And then you won't need to worry about your NG code."

It's just vague enough that she wouldn't be suspicious of it but...

"...I don't trust you."

"Good. That will keep you alive for now."

"Munakata?!" Sakakura seethes hearing him talk.

"But it won't keep you alive past getting the bangles off. If you run off by yourself, you'll likely get hurt. Either by Tengan, or Gekkogahara..."

"She... She's not dangerous at all. She's in a wheelchair!"

"...I know you don't have any reason to trust us, but I have only been trying to keep us all safe here. I want you to make it out of here alive. I want all of us to make it out of here alive. I know you don't want to be betrayed. I do. I... I understand how it feels to be betrayed."

Sakakura clenches his teeth. Guilt floods his face.

In that other world, being betrayed had... made him violent. And it had killed Sakakura. If anger was only going to hold him back, then he'd let it go. If holding a grudge would keep him from moving forward, he'd let it go. Because no matter how much Sakakura had hurt him, he wasn't Despair. His betrayal was simpler than that, and infinitely more complicated. And... having been responsible for his death once, he couldn't allow it to happen again.

"...You... You don't understand anything!" She practically shouts at him.

"I do. You're angry. And mistrustful. And you can't bring yourself to trust anyone, but... But... There are still people who believe in you. Izayoi. And myself. I believe in you, Ando. I know you aren't the attacker, not the mastermind, not... not a bad person."

"..."

"When you're betrayed, you can either let yourself fall into Despair and never trust anyone again... Or, you can find people who you trust, who won't ever leave you. And you can hold onto them. But... If you do that, then you should also know that they believe and trust you too. And when you abandon them, or betray them, they... might really be gone for good..."

His head is throbbing, and the words have stopped making clear sense.

"He's ill." Izayoi looks squarely at Sakakura.

"Yeah, I got that." Sakakura answers gruffly.

"...Don't hurt others because you're afraid of being hurt, Ando. It's... You're better than that."

"I... I don't understand what you're talking about."

"I know it's hard to trust, but don't you have Hope that... that one day you'll be able to trust people again? Please, I'll tell you everything you want to know after we make it out of this. But for now... Please, try to trust me."

"..."

"Munakata isn't well. Give him to me. I will take him back to Kimura." Gozu says promptly.

"You can barely stand yourself." Sakakura scoffs.

"...Then let me go with him." Ando says, looking away. "Yoi... Would you... go to the breaker room?"

"...Sure."

"Sakakura. Help Izayoi."

"Oh, I am not leaving you alone!"

"It'll be alright. I won't die." He gives a small smile. And even if he did, he could just go back. Of course, if it's by illness... Then that's a weird time crunch he'd have to deal with. "...Do it as fast as you can."

...

"Ugh, you're heavy." Ando is reasonably upset that Gozu isn't contributing to helping Munakata along like she thought he would. It's more like Munakata and Gozu are leaning on each other and Ando has to help steer them. "...You better not get me sick. It's bad enough I have to see her face, I don't want to take that traitor's medicine too..."

"...We'll go." Izayoi says and turns on his heel.

"Wait up." Sakakura goes after him.

As Munakata, Gozu, and Ando stumble out of sight, Sakakura catches up to Izayoi as they walk.

"...You worried about her?"

"..."

"Yeah. Sorry. Dumb question."

"You're worried about him too."

"...Yeah. Well. I'm always worried about him."

"Obviously." Izayoi doesn't bother to look at him. "But... I trust you. I trust you not to kill her."

"You're always around her. I get that you're lovebirds or whatever, but isn't she hard to deal with?"

"..." There's a quiet intensity to Izayoi. "Munakata is frequently belligerent and insular. You follow him. It's the same."

"It's not the same."

"You follow him because you love him. It is the same."

"Tch...!"

Apparently, Izayoi can sense a fellow lovelorn bodyguard when he sees it. Then again, it seems like everyone can.

"..." Izayoi says nothing further. "I don't want to leave her alone for very long."

"Let's just shut this shit down."

. . .

Munakata feels terrible, and only partly because of the fever. It's the idea of leaving Sakakura alone that...

...It scares him.

He's grown much closer to Sakakura over the multiple timelines. And he's now gotten the sense that he really understands Sakakura in the truest sense. They're... friends. Real friends.

And... the thought of him dying makes his heart ache.

The thought of losing him... It would be as bad as losing Yukizome, he thinks. And then something in his mind seems to click into place. But now is not the time to think of such things.

"...What's wrong with Gekkogahara?" Ando asks at last, breaking the silence.

"She's... not Gekkogahara. Is what I mean."

"That makes no sense!"

"Someone..." He tries to think of what it actually means, but he's not sure himself. "Someone replaced Gekkogahara with a robotic duplicate. Like an android."

"A... A what?" She doesn't look like she can accept that. "There's... There's no way."

"The real Gekkogahara was likely... done away with." He says, not exactly sure how else to phrase it. "I would assume dead. I don't exactly know where or how. The why seems obvious at this point."

"...You're... You're not joking." Ando can see the seriousness in his eyes. As sci-fi and ridiculous as it really sounds... Maybe it's the truth after all. What an unreasonable truth it was, though.

"I wouldn't joke about this." He says calmly. "I didn't believe it myself until..."

"Until what?"

"...That's another long story. We're short on time. But when we get out of here, I promise I'll tell you everything. For now, please try to trust me. I know this is asking a lot. And I know that it isn't normal, but it is the truth."

"...Then..." Gozu says, breathing ragged. "You believe Tengan and Gekkogahara are untrustworthy."

"I know it. But, yes. If you haven't made up your mind about them, I understand. But Gekkogahara's condition is easy enough to verify. She won't bleed. She's completely robotic."

"Then... That stuff about her being hacked?"

"...I'm not sure. I don't get the impression Tengan knew, or the bangle was just a farce. My best guess is that the person controlling Gekkogahara is a free agent, possibly Despair. But... Assuming she didn't attack you, Gozu, she very likely isn't working with Tengan."

"I can't make my judgement until I speak with Tengan myself." Gozu says quietly. "Until then, I'll reserve judgement. But... It isn't that I doubt you. I only want the truth. If what you say about Gekkogahara is true, I'll be more inclined to believe you."

Speak of the devil...

The sound of a motor whirring catches them off-guard as the wheelchair turns left around the corner.

Munakata can instantly feel Ando tense up while she's holding him.

"...Gekkogahara." Munakata says, attempting cordial behavior.

"There you are!" The rabbit Monomi says on the monitor. "We were looking all over for you! ...Ha-wa-wah! You don't look well! And Gozu too!"

"I'll be fine. Where is Kimura?"

"Umm.... I... I don't really know. We were going in separate directions so..." The rabbit says. "I'm sorry!"

"It's fine." Gozu says. "We'll try and make it to the infirmary. Once the bangles are removed, we won't have to worry about time."

"Huh? The bangles...?" The rabbit seems perplexed, or maybe it's just an act. He hasn't told her, so maybe it's genuine. "...Umm... I don't really understand, but I'm here to help!"

"Drop the act!" Ando snaps, and Munakata is too slow to stop her. "We know what you're up to!"

"U-Up to...? Was I bad? Did I do a bad thing?"

"Ando, don't."

"We know what you're all about, Mecha-gahara. You've got a lot of nerve talking to us like we're friends!"

"Ando!"

"...M-Mecha-gahara? That's so cruel...! Even though I use this wheelchair, and even though I use Monomi's voice to communicate... This is... This is just discrimination!"

"Just stop it!" Ando moves forward. It... then occurs to him that he hasn't warned her about Gekkogahara's attack capabilities. He's made another mistake. He... He can feel the situation worsening as it happens. "You're nothing but a phony!"

"Ando..." Munakata moves away from Gozu, closer to Ando, eager to pull her back but his movements are sluggish. "Ando, stop."

"Please don't be mean to me..." The rabbit pouts.

"Why don't you just confess?" Ando ignores everyone and begins to march right up to the wheelchair. "I bet you don't even need this thing! You don't even have a pulse!"

Ando is unpredictable enough without being emboldened by being in on the secret. Was it a mistake to tell her? Or was it a mistake to not tell her everything.

What happens next is entirely out of his hands. And that's what frightens him.

"Stop it!" The rabbit says while Ando begins to push at Gekkogahara in her wheelchair.

"I just want to feel for your pulse. You've got one, don't you? How long were you a traitor for?!"

"Please, stop! You'll mess up the settings on my chair!"

"I'll mess up the settings in your motherboard, you hunk of junk! Look at you! You're all cold and heavy! You really are a-"

The entire hallway booms with the echo of something. A rocket? An explosive or...?

He can't figure out what it is, but Ando goes flying backwards and collides with Munakata, who then collides with Gozu.

The three of them land in a scorched heap. The world is still spinning and smells like smoke and something charring. His head feels... foggy.

Ando is unresponsive, possibly dead? She's on her stomach, and at the very least is unconscious but...

A childish jingle plays again and he hears someone gurgle underneath of him...?

Looking down, he realizes he's landed right on top of Gozu, whose... NG code is being pinned for a 3-count. And...

Munakata immediately scrambles off of him, as quickly as possible, but he's sure it's too late as Gozu gurgles and spasms until...

 _"Uh oh, two down!"_ The maliciously cheery voice that is neither Gekkogahara nor Monomi echoes out again. _"One to go~"_

Are... Are they both dead?

He'd check but... He...

His gut says to run, and that's what he does. Sprinting, tripping over himself, tumbling, getting up and nearly slamming into the wall, and running again.

He notices the bangles have now detached. They... They did it. He... He was so close to saving Gozu but...

Another rocket is expended and the explosion barely misses. It's still enough to send him flying forward, and he can feel the heat from the explosion, the lick of fire on his coattails, the smell of gunpowder.

_"Aw, missed... Oh well, reload and refire!"_

He continues running, turning right, not that it matters to Gekkogahara. Even with the bangle, she was immune to the poison, but the breakers are this way. If he can meet up with Sakakura and Izayoi...

Another explosion, this one sending debris and rubble from the wall spraying out at him. He's pelted by small bits of stone, and dust must be all over him now, but he can't let that stop him. And still... his legs start to give out underneath him, and he tumbles to the ground.

...

Sakakura is sprinting as fast as he can. He'd asked Izayoi to finish up once the explosions were heard.

"Please be alive...!"

Sakakura grits his teeth. The bangle eventually falls free from his hand. 

If... If Munakata died, would he know the difference?

If Munakata died, would the world continue on, even for him? Or would existence cease as Munakata's own timeline resets. Now's not the time for existentialist questions, he wagers.

More explosions and he follows the noise to see...

"Munakata!"

Charging blindly, he dashes past downed rubble, his fist collides with Gekkogahara's metal face so hard it tips her over. He winces, feeling his knuckles scrape as his fist collides with metal. There's blood on Gekkogahara's face from his knuckles.

_"Hey, no fair! ...Alright, time to become a fighting anime! Dun-da-daaaaa! Transform! Combine! Hahaha..."_

The robot transforms before him into... something... like a person and...

He's so flabbergasted by the strangeness of the situation, he can't dodge the downward slash from Gekkogahara's bladed hand.

Fresh blood spills onto the hallway from a cut that strikes his clavicle and goes down to his hip. It's not a fatal wound, but there's blood everywhere now.

Sakakura's fist collides with the metal frame again, using a boxer's stance to block most of the slashes at him, at the risk of multiple cuts on his arm that bleed through the jacket.

"Sakakura!" Munakata tries to get to his feet but he isn't quick enough.

Sakakura looks back for a fraction of a second, but that's all it takes when Gekkogahara's blade slides into his stomach, protruding out the back.

 _"Flawless victory! Fatality!"_ She laughs, turning, and kicks Sakakura off her arm like pushing meat off a kebab. He impacts with the wall so hard he leaves a bloody splash against the wall.

Munakata rushes to his aid, and is about to draw his sword when...

Blades zoom through the air, and more than a few rip through the metal face, embedding in the chest, face, and abdomen of the robot. There's some kind of malfunction as Izayoi runs forward and slashes off the left arm and then the right leg, and then cuts off the metal head.

Sakakura weakly gasps for breath, spitting up blood. He's in no shape to be moving, but he's still trying to get up.

"Sakakura!" Munakata goes to him, kneeling down immediately.

"Where is she?!" Izayoi's voice breaks the normal silent-type persona he's amassed. Eyes desperately dart around.

"She..." Munakata can only look in the direction she was. He... He really doesn't know what happened to her but...

He can't give him an answer.

Izayoi stares at him before rushing off. He can't afford to waste time trying to get an answer from Munakata.

"...Muna... kata..." He says weakly, still trying to stand, sliding back down from his own slick blood.

"Stop. Don't... Don't move." Sakakura says gently. "I'll... I'll carry you. Here."

"Don't... I'm..."

"It's not up for debate." Munakata says hooking his arm behind Sakakura, and one under his knees, picking him up with obvious strain. His mind still isn't clear, but the situation has sharpened his mind further. Fever and dread battle his mind for superiority. "Stay with me."

"I'd... I'd like that..." Sakakura smiles weakly, as if it's a joke. "I really... I really would..."

"I'll get you to Kimura. She can... She'll..."

Munakata walks forward, trying to run, but he's afraid he'll drop him. His grip weakens with all of the effort and the panic in him, his hands are slippery with blood. His legs were already weak, and now he's shaking. He's acutely aware of the blood that's getting all over him and staining his clothes red.

"Put... Put me down..." He breathes out. His... His breathing has gotten shallower.

He's... He's losing too much blood. Too quickly. Just... Just like before.

"No. I can't do that. I can't..."

"It's okay. Just... Put me down, before you... before... you hurt yourself."

"Hurt _myself_? I... I can't even worry about myself... when you... You..."

"It's okay... You... You can let go of me." He smiles. "I've only... held you back."

"Stop it." There are tears welling up in his eyes. "This isn't the end. This isn't..."

"Maybe... I don't get to live? I... I'll release you from this... I'll die and... ask them to stop sending you back. You... You can't do this for me... You're killing yourself. I don't want that... You can't... do this for me. You can't save me..."

"I can and I will! You... You don't get... You don't get it at all! I can't let you die!"

"...Just... put me down, and... and listen to me, okay?"

"But... I can't give up."

"I'm already dying... You... You can tell, right?"

And he can. That's what makes him start to cry. Afraid he'll really drop him, Munakata stops, shaking violently, and sets Sakakura down, cradling him in his arms as he lies there. And that makes him cry harder, because it means he's accepted Sakakura will die. Again.

And... And it's still his fault. Again.

"Sakakura... I'm sorry... I... I was supposed to..."

"Hey. Are... Are those tears for me?" Sakakura asks, as he reaches up his hand, shakily. He places his hand on Munakata's cheek, and wipes away some of the tears with his thumb. "Hey... Don't cry... Not for... Not for someone like me... But... Is it wrong that it makes me happy...?"

"I will save you. I will..." As many times as it takes.

This is what he deserves. To see his friend die over and over in new ways. This... must be a punishment. But even if it's impossible, if... if he only tries... Then maybe one day... one time... he'll get it right.

"There's... always next time." He laughs weakly. Sakakura has started to cry as well. "And the time after that... And... the time after that.."

"Sakakura, please. Don't... Don't go. I can't do this on my own... I can't..."

"Oh... I... I don't want to go but..." Sakakura smiles. He feels bad that he's left some blood on Munakata's cheek. "If you're not going to stop, then... This is okay."

"No, it's not okay. I don't care if I get an infinite number of redos... This isn't fair! None of this is fair...!"

"But still..."

"I... I didn't get to tell you how I feel." Munakata says in shaky breaths. "I didn't get to tell you that... I know there's something between us. And... And I think... I think I could..."

As if it were a fairy tale, as if it could fix things magically... He leans down to kiss Sakakura. There's a pungent taste of iron from the blood, but he doesn't care. He grips Sakakura's hand tightly within his at his cheek and kisses him. Hard.

Feeling Sakakura initially resist, but then... accept the kiss... and return it...

And too soon the kiss ends. Too soon, it all ends...

"I'm..." Sakakura smiles, fingers gently brushing against Munakata's cheek. Tears have mixed with blood. He wheezes. "I'm so happy..."

"Don't be happy! I... I can't... I can't... I can't do this..."

"The man that I love... He didn't throw me away." Sakakura smiles, crying harder. "The man I love forgave me, for all the... stupid things I did... and for how much I hurt him. And... he wants me to live. And... And now he... I find out he..."

"Sakakura, please... Please hold on..."

"If this is the end, it's not so bad, is it? I... I get to die in your arms. I get to be loved by you... this time. I'm not alone, and... and this is real... I... I can't tell you how long I've... I've wanted to have you touch me like that... To hold me in your arms... To kiss me... And..."

"Stop. Don't... Don't say that... You can't die. I won't allow it!"

"I'm so jealous... of the next me." He laughs, and sputters before he continues. "If you come back, you can tell him all the things he wants to hear. Like... Like that you... You could... You could love me? Right...?"

"Yes. I... I know I could. I definitely could!"

"He'll be so happy to hear that. I know. Because those are all the things I've wanted to hear you say. To be forgiven... To be loved... How did... How did I get this lucky?"

"There's... There's no time now... There's..." Munakata trembles. "I wasted all our time together. I'm so sorry. You... This never would have happened if..."

"There'll be time next time... right? You'll be happy. You'll live. And... And I'll be there. I can't imagine... a happier ending. So... If I can be selfish, I... I really don't want you to stop. I really want you to go back and save me... So that I... so that we... And... And... finally... I hope this isn't a delusion... But if this is my version of the white light... I guess it's okay... I'll be at peace... And you'll save me next time. I believe in you."

He can tell it's not going to be long now, but he can't stop shaking. Because the light in Sakakura's eyes is fading.

"Please... Please don't leave... Please hold on for me..."

"Don't... Don't let go of my hand." He asks and he smiles feeling Munakata's hand tighten. "I'm so sorry I couldn't do this for you this time. It would've been easier if I'd died and... and... But... But I'm glad you're here."

"I'm not going anywhere. And... And I won't later. The next time. I won't..."

"You feel so warm. And I'm... cold? I don't know... You can do this. You're stronger than you know. I believe in you. Always."

The world around them is dimming. Like edges of a burning photograph, until it's just them... And it flickers with every breath Sakakura takes.

"...Juzo. Please..."

"No matter what happens... Please know... I love you, Kyosuke. I always will. In any future... In any... I..." He smiles, his hand beginning to fall limp. "...I love... love... Kyo...ke..."

...

~ ~ ~

...

Someone's touched his shoulder as his eyes dimly adjust to the light. And... 

Sakakura again.

Words are spoken to him, but he can't...

...

"The Remnants of Despair... I won't forgive them..." Kimura says in a low growl.

"My, my... What a pain." Kizakura adjusts his hat.

"Open wide~" Ando has a macaroon in her hand and is trying to feed it to Izayoi.

"No. Not now." He answers simply. Ando looks momentarily stunned and hurt.

"Anyway, fighting is just what Monokuma wants us to do!" Naegi implores to the room. "We need to work together now."

...

"Munakata...!" Sakakura speaks to him in a low voice, concerned. Munakata has begun crying as he stares at Sakakura. "Hey... Uh..."

Having Munakata openly weeping, sobbing... bawling like a child into his chest with an embrace that squeezes him like a vise. He can feel his shirt become damp with Munakata's tears.

But of course he'd be upset about Yukizome. He can only weakly hug him back, momentarily jealous of a dead woman... A new low...

Until...

"Juzo..." Munakata sobs into his chest. "Please don't go... Please... don't leave me... I... I want you to live too... Why are you... Why can't I... I need you by my side... Please..."

"H-Hey... Munakata... It's..."

The whole display hasn't gone unnoticed, and even Kirigiri is stunned into silence, eyes wide, hand covering her mouth.

"Please don't go. Please..."

"Shit... He's... He's burning up. He..." Sakakura feels his forehead. "He must be delirious..."

"I'll... I'll help." Kimura says digging through her pockets for some kind of medication.

"Let's get him to the infirmary. There's... There's got to be somewhere he can lie down in here."

"Yes. I'll... I'll come with you."

"Wait..." Munakata says shakily, as he unties his tie. "Bandai... Cover your eyes. So... So you don't..."

"Munakata...?" Bandai's squeaky voice comes out as he approaches.

"Take it. I... I want you to live. I want... I want all of us to live..."

Bandai wordlessly takes the tie, and uses it as a blindfold. He's... not sure how to take this gesture of kindness. But it is a good idea, all the same

"Thank you!"

"We need to get him somewhere. Let's go." Sakakura says, hoisting Munakata up onto his shoulders in a piggyback ride.

"There... There are things you have to know so..." Munakata mumbles.

"Alright, alright... We'll talk about them later."

"...Break... Break every monitor you see." He manages to choke out. "Trust me... It's..."

"..."

"I'll accompany you." Kirigiri says quietly. The blindfold for Bandai has piqued her interest. "For now, everyone else should stay put. Together. We shouldn't go wandering off."

The monitor in the room is already broken.

"Huh?" Ando scoffs. "You want us to stay in here with a dead body?"

"Better one than multiple bodies..." Kizakura shrugs.

"I agree." Gozu nods. "We need to discuss the situation more. It wouldn't do well for us to go off on our own. For now, we all stay in here."

Tengan agrees, nodding politely.

"...Kirigiri..." Naegi looks to her.

"Stay with Asahina." She gives her coy smile. "Keep everyone from going... And don't leave the room if you can avoid it. There's... something strange happening."

"Strange...?"

Munakata continues to cry into Sakakura's shoulders, the arms clasped around his neck, sniffling and huffing into Sakakura's hood. His mind is swimming now, half his mind lost to the fever.

"...Then for now, we should do what they say." Tengan smiles. "We can discuss how this matter should be dealt with in the meantime."

"That's right!" Monomi's squeaky voice chimes in from Gekkogahara. "Friendship and love will see us through! Love, love!"

"...Is that really enough...?" Asahina looks away. "Ah! Sorry. Too gloomy... Okay! I'm in."

"My, that was a sudden change..." Kizakura chuckles.

"Youth brings with it a certain flexibility to adversity..." Tengan smiles.

"...Munakata." Sakakura leads Munakata out of the room with Kimura in the lead.

As they go... Kirigiri picks up a large brick or stone...? And when they pass by a monitor, she wastes no time in smashing it.

"What are... you doing?" Kimura looks back to her.

"Following orders."

"Shit, he's... He's really warm."

"Juzo..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here." It's embarrassing to have Munakata call him by his first name, even it is delirium. Still. It's... It's a nice feeling. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good... Please. Stay."

"I heard you the first time." Sakakura tries not to smile, but it's hard. He shouldn't get too greedy and enjoy this too much. "Like I said, I'm here."

"Good... I need you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last timeline will be done in 4 parts, and will lead to the happy ending, so I apologize for your shed tears.
> 
> They were delicious though.


	7. Soft Reset (1 of 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> **Soft Reset - A Better Today Than Yesterday**  
> 
> 
> Part 1 of 4
> 
> \- - -
> 
> We're in the last 4 chapters of the Killing Game, so I decided to make it extra fluffy because I made a lot of people cry. There's still 3 more chapters to go (until the epilogue) so... Let's see how we do!

...

The antipyretics that Kimura has given him are powerful. Although his fever is quickly decreased, the fatigue still remains.

Even so... Munakata explains the situation as best he can to Sakakura, Kirigiri, and Kimura.

If it weren't for the frightening amount of details, and the way he'd been able to explain everything... They would have chalked it up to the fever. But, being able to predict the NG codes for everyone, and evidenced by Bandai's acceptance of it... as well as their own NG codes being guessed.

"...Then... Tengan...?" Kimura asks, shaky. "He... He killed Yukizome..."

"Technically." Munakata says. He's more coherent now in the infirmary. "Although she killed herself, it was because of Tengan that she died..."

"I see. Then we're dealing with two threats, but not the ones we expected. The mastermind... and a rogue agent." Kirigiri ponders that.

"...I... I don't know what I should do." Munakata admits. "I've been through this so many times that I..."

"Lie down." Sakakura presses him back down firmly.

They're in the infirmary. Sakakura has laid his jacket over Munakata to keep him warm. Hopefully that helps him sweat out the fever.

Silently, Munakata is having complicated feelings about how Sakakura's jacket smells so much like Sakakura...

There had been parts he'd avoided saying. The exact details of Sakakura's betrayal, Enoshima's blackmail... And the things they'd said in the last timeline. He'd wait to have that conversation later.

"For now, we should proceed with business as usual." Kirigiri stands. "If we're lucky, they'll all stay in one place. Gekkogahara is a troubling addition to this..."

"If... If everyone stays in one place... no one will die." Kimura nods. "But... I can give people who might get hurt something to weaken the poison... Asahina especially... It could buy us time..."

"I think we need to keep everyone on the same side for as long as possible. Revealing the plan too early might complicate matters."

"...Then..." Munakata hasn't actually done this before. Trusting others to see what they think should be done. It had mostly been him, by himself, reacting to things. "...Don't turn the breakers off just yet. If you can't calm Mitarai, that might end badly."

"I see." Kirigiri nods. "Perhaps he and Naegi will get along. If anyone can get him to believe in Hope..."

Sakakura scoffs and looks away. Munakata has to remind himself that it wasn't that long ago that he himself was calling for Naegi's execution.

"He isn't the enemy, Sakakura. Believe me, if you can't believe in him."

"Fine. Whatever. I don't have to like it though."

"But... What do we tell the others...?" Kimura asks. "About... breaking the monitors? We still... We still should do that, right?"

"Mm..."

"Just tell them it'll limit the mastermind's ability to watch us or communicate." Sakakura says off-handedly. "If the monitors are broken, then Monokuma can't fuck with us. 'If they want to get to us so badly, they'll have to come and tell us themselves'... or something. They just need to know the monitors are bad news and break every one they find. And just tell everyone to regroup before we all go to sleep."

...

Munakata is stunned by this. It's... such an easy but effective plan.

It... He's ashamed that he'd only considered his options were telling people the whole truth or telling them nothing. It hadn't even crossed his mind that he could tell them only what they needed to hear. Or... had it crossed his mind? He... He can't really remember. Maybe it's the fever, or the way things have blurred together.

"Yes. We should have a place where we can regroup. The problem becomes... what do we do about those who think there's an attacker...?" Kirigiri considers this.

"The only people who can possibly move during the time when we fall asleep would be Gekkogahara, and possibly Tengan. I haven't worked out whether his bangle works the way ours does." Munakata admits. "Maybe his is just for show. Maybe his NG code is just to make us trust him..."

"All I know is if what you say is true, Ando won't want to be around anyone." Sakakura shrugs.

"Her NG code is that no one is allowed to leave the playing field." Munakata nods. "But she's always very suspicious of others."

"Then we simply need to take advantage of that. Tell her that it's a way to keep an eye on everyone, and where they're going."

"...Hey. I have an idea." Sakakura says suddenly. "What if we ask Tengan and Gekkogahara to work together and go to the breakers?"

"...That would leave Gozu." Kimura says quietly. "He doesn't leave Tengan's side, correct?"

"Gozu is an horable sort." Munakata says. "The only way he'll leave Tengan's side is if he feels someone else weaker needs protection."

"...Then it's obviously the little punk, right?" Sakakura crosses his arms and looks to Kirigiri. "Just tell Gozu you're afraid I'm gonna kick his ass for real. That I told you I think he's responsible for this whole thing, and that once Munakata's better I'll track him down and fuck him up."

"..." Kirigiri looks at him, partly disapproving and partly impressed. "That might work."

"But send Tengan and Gekkogahara at the last minute, if possible." Munakata says quietly. "Sending them now gives them too much time to do their own thing."

"You should also probably tell the punk and Asahina at least. They're trustworthy, right?"

"Yes. Bandai as well." Munakata nods. "And Kizakura."

"Kizakura...?" Sakakura turns up his nose at that. "The man's an idiot. Why tell him?"

"No... Kizakura is quite smart and..." He looks to Kirigiri. "He'll be easily persuaded. I know, I've done it before. Explain the situation as best you can. And tell him I mentioned he's here to protect someone. Someone entrusted to him by a friend, who absolutely must live... Also, make sure he tapes his left hand closed."

"Is that his NG code? Opening his left hand...?"

"Yes. With all the other evidence... I think he'll trust me. I hope, anyway."

"Then, we should go and tell the others what the plan is." Kirigiri stands and Kimura does as well.

"...I'm staying here." Sakakura says definitively. "Someone's got to look out for him."

"I... I thought I would stay..." Kimura says quietly.

"Sorry." Sakakura doesn't look at her. His attention is all on Munakata. "I'm not budging on this. Just tell me what meds he needs, and I'll see that he gets them. But we're not done talking."

"...He's right. I'm sorry, Kimura. I hope this doesn't offend you."

"I... I can save people this way." She says solemnly. "I can help. You're... You're giving me the chance to... help."

Kirigiri checks how much time is left on the bangle.

"...We'll split into groups to dismantle monitors, and then all meet up back at room we originated in. I'll also try and get Gekkogahara to send a message for help out. She may be able to do it, especially if it's keeping up the charade."

"...Yes." Munakata nods to himself. "That would explain what followed..."

"What followed?" Kirigiri arches a brow.

"...We ended up getting some unexpected help. The Remnants of Despair. They'd be..." He considers it. "...I'm not sure if they're already on their way, but they wake up and assist us."

"They do what?!" Sakakura stands abruptly. "What do you mean they wake up?!"

"They're cured from Despair. As it turns out." Munakata saying it doesn't make Sakakura like it any better.

"No fucking way."

"Do you doubt me?" Munakata stares at him sharply.

"W-Well... no. But..."

"Kimura. Before you leave... Do you have more of that Cure W medicine?"

"...I... I do. Do you... Do you want it?" She asks as she pulls out the vial.

"Yes." Seeing Sakakura die from injuries... It... It's made him cautious. "Please."

She hands the vial over before Kirigiri and Kimura take their leave.

. . .

"...Will things really be alright this time...?" Munakata asks to himself as Sakakura hands him more pills.

The pills are at least helping him focus more. The fatigue is definitely going to hit him like a truck later, but for now, he's able to stay focused. And the fever is down.

"You don't trust them?" Sakakura does his best not to look sour. "They're doing what you asked."

"...Sakakura. Are you upset with me?"

"I..." Sakakura sighs loudly. "I'm not mad... I'm just... This is just so surreal. You're telling me that... That I... told you everything?"

"You did." Munakata nods. "You betrayed me because Enoshima blackmailed you about your feelings for me."

"..." Sakakura looks away. "Sorry. I... I'd apologize better. But. I thought I'd get the chance to apologize myself. At least the other me wasn't a fucking coward... That's something..."

"One of your other selves said something like that." Munakata tries not to smile. "...And... there was more."

"More?"

"Concerning us."

...

If it had been from anyone else's lips, Sakakura would not have believed it at all. It's just too bizarre. Too.... Too unrealistic. But even as he's listening, hearing about the other versions f himself, the ones that confessed. The ones that apologized... He can't help but feel it rings true.

And...

"...That's... That's not true." Sakakura says blushing furiously. "You can't be serious."

"I'm telling you the truth. I..." Munakata is red, but it's hard to tell what that's from, fever or embarrassment. "I could... I could love you."

"This is..." Sakakura seems... unhappy. "This is seriously the worst..."

"What? Why? ...I thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy!" He barks, unhappily. He quickly retracts his anger. "...I am happy. But... You had all the important conversations with other people. I... I mean, other... Sakakuras."

"...Oh. I see."

"I didn't get to tell you my secret. I didn't get to ask for forgiveness. I didn't get to... confess my love to you... And... And I didn't get to hear you say it back..." He's blushing still. "...I mean, how many times do I have to lose to different versions of myself? Why... Why can't I just..."

"Just what?"

"...I don't feel like I've earned this. You've heard it all before, but I didn't get to say any of it. I didn't... get to redeem myself. I mean... This has been a whole lot of hours for you, but it wasn't that long ago that we lost Yukizome. Here. And now you're skipping ahead to saying you could love me? I... I don't feel like I've earned this. But I don't have any other confessions I could make..."

"...Then, would you hear mine?" Munakata says sitting up.

"What? You're going to confess your love to me?" He asks sarcastically.

"Yes. While we have time. Before... Before the next part happens. I don't want to waste the time we have together."

"..." Sakakura wasn't expecting a serious confession. "Alright. If you have something to say... I'll... I'll listen. Maybe I'll like having you confess your love to me or... whatever you're planning to do."

...

Munakata starts off slow.

"Sakakura... Juzo, I should say. We've known each other for a long time. And, while I can't say that you were always someone I've imagined being with, I can't deny there's... a bond that we share. And it's the most important connection I have left. I know that sounds very confusing considering the amount of time that's passed for you since all this began, but... I'm here to save you."

"Munakata-"

"I'm here to keep you safe. I'm not allowed to let you die. That... That must mean something. At first I thought it was to assuage my guilt. And then I thought maybe it was a punishment. For all the harm I've caused you. For all the things I've done or said that hurt you, not just in that other timeline but... but the little ways I've hurt you, without even knowing. Worst of all, there were moments where I knew there was something deeper there. Something I was either too frightened to admit, or too ignorant to process. A lingering glance, or the way you smile at me... Words... can't capture my true feelings here."

"..." Sakakura sits, spellbound by this confession. It's... It's actually the only time another man has confessed anything like this to him. Do all confessions work like this?

"But I pushed those feelings aside because I thought I had to. And with Yukizome there, and not taking the time to address what there was between you and I, and between the three of us... I caused a rift in our friendship. One that I knew existed but still did nothing to solve. And... And then I hurt you physically. I... You've never stopped having faith in me. But I lost faith in you. And when I did, I lost you and everything else."

"...Munakata."

"Please, I'm not done. You... You say that you haven't earned this. That you don't deserve it. But, I was the one who wasn't worthy of your feelings. You deserve someone who can truly make you happy. I want you to be happy. And... More recently, I've realized that... I could love you. Or... I suppose, I do love you. I can't save Yukizome, but... I can be honest with myself. And it pains me because it took me this long to allow myself to feel this way. And if Yukizome were here, would she be happy...? Betrayed...? I don't know. But... I'm the one who wasn't worthy of you. I'm still not."

"That's not true. And Yukizome...!" He instinctively butts in but... "...Sorry. I'll... I'll be quiet. I'm sorry."

"I can't change the past. But, I can change the future here and now. That's why, when we get out of here... We can examine what we are to each other. But I do want to see where this goes. You... You and I. If you'll have me. I wasn't brave enough to say it when you were alive, and I was only brave enough to say it as you lay dying... So... Please understand, that I don't want to waste time anymore. Could... Could you also love me...?"

"...Idiot. My other selves probably went on and on about how much I love you." Sakakura says, thoroughly touched and defensive now. "...Of course I could love you. I always have. Since the beginning. I... I just like everything about you. Even your confession. I haven't seen you that... soft and sincere in... I don't know. Since before all this."

"Kiss me."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I did hear you. But... you're sick. And we're... in a weird survival death trap. This... This isn't romantic."

"You kissed me before."

"Okay, first of all, _you_ kissed _me_ before, I just kissed back according to how you tell it. Second, it wasn't the me who's here now, it was a different me. And third, I was dying! Of course you kiss the person you... love... when they're dying... when I'm dying, I mean, it was me but not... me me, right?... I... I don't know what I'm saying, forget it..."

"Why are you wasting our time together?" Munakata asks seriously. "If you want to beat your other selves, you should be a little braver. I already told you I have feelings for you. What do you intend to do?"

"..." This man was annoying. "That's easy for you to say. I've... I've been... I live this. My whole life. This is me. And up until a few hours ago, I was still terrified you'd... So, yeah. I'm wasting our time together because I'm still... I'm always... What are you going to do if you decide you don't really like me? Or this is all some weird fever dream? I don't get to ease out of this... Not at all... You just... You just put all my fears and secrets out in the open like that. How am I supposed to feel?"

That... had never been his intention.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I'm not considering your feelings." 

"I just... I can't kiss you yet. I'm... I'm not ready. I can't imagine you ever kissing me for real."

"I already kissed you. However... I did take it away from you. Your confessions, and your secrets. I cut right to the ending, thinking it would be easier but..." Munakata tries to be accommodating. This... really isn't a fair situation. "If you'd like to apologize for Enoshima, or confess your love to me yourself, you can do that too. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I keep hurting you. I never meant to make you feel this way. I don't know how else to apologize, but I'm sorry."

"Yeah... I know. Just... could you be patient with me...?"

"I'll listen to anything you want to say to me."

"It's... It's not quite the same."

"No, but it doesn't have to be anxious and fearful. You can... You can tell me all the things you want to tell me. And you know I won't turn away. I'll listen to every word. And... And when you feel like you've earned it, I want you to kiss me. Some day. When you're ready."

"Were you always so pushy...?" He chuckles to himself.

"Yes. I was." Munakata smiles.

"...To be honest..." Sakakura says quietly. "I can't help but feel like I lose a bit of myself when I'm with you."

"Huh?"

"...Having you rely on me like that, having you come to me for help. Was it wrong that I felt good about that? Was it wrong that I... liked having you need me...?" He really doesn't know what answer he's expecting from that. Sakakura takes a deep breath. "You'll listen to me then? Even knowing what I'm going to say?"

"Of course I will."

...

Sakakura isn't really one to mince words. There's some nuance here and there. Enoshima forcing him to beg, his anger over not being able to help Yukizome... Flattery that gets a little mushy by Sakakura's standards. There's some fear there, some distress. A lot of wounded pride, and misplaced anger that he wants to soothe, to help smooth away as if he could. And periodically, those sad eyes that look at him with anticipation and dread... as if he could say something wrong and change Munakata's feelings.

"...That's... That's all I've got." Sakakura says quietly.

"And you love me. Right?"

"...Do you really want me to say that again? Saying it again and again feels embarrassing. Even I have my pride. I... I do. But please, I have my limits. This is new to me."

"I like hearing you say it." He pauses. "I don't mean it to be unkind or forceful. I... I like your sincerity. It sounds earnest, and... very nice to hear."

"It is earnest. You..." He grumbles. "This only just started for me a few hours ago. I get that it's all old news for you now but... My heart is fragile here. Please be kind to me."

"...I'm sorry. Being through all of this so many times... I must have lived through it enough to last a few days."

Sakakura is glad for the segue. He would rather not talk about himself or his feelings anymore.

"A few days, hardly any sleep, and people keep dying... Of course you'd get sick. Even someone as tough as you has their limits." Sakakura looks back to him. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm mostly tired. But... I don't believe we'll be getting much sleep until this is over, aside from being rendered unconscious by the bangles."

"But you're not... feeling shitty anymore?"

"...More or less. I'm not dizzy, if that's what you mean. I think I'm still feverish though."

"I hope everyone else out there is doing okay."

"...You surprised me."

"Huh? When?"

"Your plan with the monitors. It..." Munakata smiles sadly. "It's the kind of plan I'd never think of. I'm grateful to you."

"...Why?"

"Because..." He considers it. "Because I keep forgetting that I'm not alone. I'm afraid to let people in, which is why I've... It's taken a lot to get here."

"Well, after this, you can take a nice long nap. How about that?"

"Will you be there?"

"...I..." Sakakura coughs, blushing quietly. "...I'm not sure I'm the person you want with you when you're sleeping."

"Why not?"

"Because..." He tries to keep a straight face, but it's failing badly. "Because... it's me."

"There's nothing predatory about you, if that's what you're insinuating. I've never felt unsafe with you. You're not some ravenous beast. I don't know who made you feel like you were, but anyone who makes you feel that way - especially if it's you yourself - ...I simply can't forgive that. You're the person I feel safest with. Always."

"...Munakata... I..."

"I mean it. Please, don't think of yourself that way. I know I don't. You've... never given me any reason to mistrust you." That's not exactly true, but it feels like the right thing to say. "I trust you, no matter what. And to have you talk that way about yourself... hurts."

"Uhh..." He coughs again. The blush has overtaken his face. "I'm going to assume that's the fever talking. Because if you're flirting with me, I don't... I don't know how to react. I mean... I get that you were having cute conversations with the other versions of me but... this is the me now who was terrified you'd be repulsed by me, and it would end our friendship a few hours ago. It's... appreciated... Thank you for saying so."

Sakakura has said that before already. He must... really be forcing the issue. His words are making him uncomfortable, but he's not sure how to stop, except for not to speak about it. It's hard to reconcile patience with the current situation.

"I understand, I was only... Well. It's fine. I'll try not to rush you. This should be enjoyable, not stressful so... I'll be respectful of your feelings and wait with patience and diligence."

"...You make it sound so formal." 

"It was a formal request, wasn't it?"

"Yeah... Yeah, it was."

"For now, would you stay with me? And when I'm better we'll figure out what to do next, together."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"I mean it..." Munakata says, more quietly than before. "I don't want you out of my sight. Please, forgive my selfish request. But seeing you die so many times now has..."

Sakakura reaches over, and grabs his hand. He squeezes it lightly.

"I'm not going anywhere. As confusing as this whole thing is... I... I suppose... I... I'm not ready, but I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear you talk like that. About me... for a change. I'm... much more jealous than you realize. Yukizome must have known that too."

"I'm learning so much about you lately."

"Apparently, I'm full of surprises." He deadpans. Too bad he probably knows half of them already.

The two of them talk together. Munakata takes more medicine, lying on the infirmary table with Sakakura's jacket draped over them. He tries to relax, and hopes for the best. Because, this time... This time... Maybe things will be different. No. They will be. He'll make sure of it.

He catches Sakakura grinning quietly to himself. Munakata's got a look of determination on his face, as if he's decided how the future will be. It's just like back at Hope's Peak. Sakakura continues to grin, even when Munakata notices.

They talk about silly things, inconsequential things, things that they regret doing in hindsight, and how they'd like to fix them in the future. 

And when the timer counts down, and Sakakura falls asleep in his chair with his head on Munakata's bedside, arms making a pillow for himself, holding onto Munakata's hand (or rather, sleeping with his arms on Munakata's hand)...

...They hope they'll have the chance to make it up to each other, and everyone else.


	8. Soft Reset (2 of 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> **Soft Reset - Hell in the Mind's Eye**  
>  Part 2 of 4
> 
> \- - -
> 
> This one goes a bit darker towards the end, like... dark.
> 
> Dedicated to a certain someone who smiles at hope in the name of despair and just loves a good darkfic... You know who you are~

Waking up is hard to do, but when he does, he notices Sakakura is already awake, and feeling his forehead.

"Ah, damn it."

"...What?" Munakata croaks hoarsely as he sits up. He moves Sakakura's jacket off of him to stand up.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"We still have a job to do..."

"You're..." Sakakura takes hold of his arm, and for a moment, Munakata gives him a look that tells him to rethink that. "Your fever's down, but you've still got one."

"Then give me more medicine, and let's go back to the others."

"You always were a lousy patient." Sakakura grumbles before producing a few more pills. Kimura had told him the dosage, but there was no way Munakata would get better if he kept pushing himself. "You should trust me a little more."

"I do trust you." He says quickly. Sakakura releases him. "That's not the problem. I trust you. Really. But... I can't just let this continue on."

"...You're going to end up in an early grave with that attitude."

"That's never been how the future played out."

Sakakura scoffs and takes his jacket back, putting it on. If Munakata has sweat all over it, or made it disgusting somehow, Sakakura is not complaining. With any luck, he won't get Sakakura sick.

"You're the leader. Lead on."

"What's wrong?" Munakata looks at him squarely.

"You're what's wrong. You're not getting better, we're stuck at the bottom of the ocean, there's a chance someone died, and I've still got the bangle on my hand which means..." Sakakura doesn't want to argue. He composes himself and puts on a more respectful demeanor. "I'm sorry. What it means is that Tengan and Gekkogahara haven't made it to the breaker room yet."

"I'm sorry. I'm not myself." Munakata says apologetically. "I didn't mean to also snap at you. I'm... I'm worried about everyone too."

"Then let's head over together."

...

When they come back to the room, Munakata quickly scans it... And...

Everyone is alive. The only people missing there are Gekkogahara and Tengan. 

"Munakata, Sakakura! You're okay!" Naegi's hopeful optimism is irritating for Sakakura.

"What's happened?" Munakata turns to Kirigiri.

"Nothing. Everything's been peaceful. We're still missing two but..."

"Yes. It's as I thought." Munakata's eyes look over to Yukizome's corpse. It still hurts, but... nothing feels real anymore. His mind is fogging over.

"Did... Did the medicine... help?" Kimura asks.

"Yeah. It seemed to. But I had to give him more." Sakakura hands the bottle back to her.

"No, keep it... Just in case..."

Sakakura clucks his tongue and sticks the bottle back into his pocket.

The way Naegi is acting, Kirigiri must have told him. And Asahina, who is standing with Bandai. Kizakura gives Munakata a tip of his hat, and they can see his left hand has been duct taped closed... really something of a ball of duct tape around his fist.

Then he also knows. Which leaves Gozu, Ando, and Izayoi who don't know. And Mitarai, who is hanging back with Gozu and Asahina.

"I think given the circumstances, we should reveal our hand." Kirigiri says knowingly to Munakata.

"What? Now?!" Sakakura glares over at her.

"You... You think it's... safe...?" Kimura asks.

"What's safe?" Ando stands up abruptly, marching over to Kirigiri imperiously. "What are you guys whispering about?"

"Ando, it's alright." Munakata says as calmly as possible.

"No, it's not! You're up here being buddy-buddy with the traitor!" Ando points squarely at Kimura.

"M-Me?! Y-You're the traitor!"

"There is no traitor." Kirigiri says definitively, although maybe that's not what they were talking about.

"How... How do you know that?" Ando clenches her jaw.

"Yes. How do you know that?" Gozu's voice is suspicious immediately.

"Everyone! I finally found you!" Gekkogahara's wheelchair makes loud noises down the hallway as she comes closer. Monomi's voice fills the hall. "I was so worried!"

"Weren't you supposed to be handling the generators?!" Sakakura snarls at her.

"I... W-Well, yes but..."

"Where is Tengan?" Asahina is the one who asks, as pleasantly as possible despite the circumstances.

"...I... I dont know. He was gone when I woke up!"

"Yeah. Sure." Sakakura scoffs, and Ando is right there with him.

Well, that did make some sense thinking back on things with Gozu in that other timeline although...

"I'm telling the truth! I'm an honest girl who likes sweet milk!"

"Just cut it out." Ando isn't having it. "Why come back? You didn't do your job!"

"I... I was worried about everyone...! What if something happened...?"

"Everyone. Relax." Kirigiri says calmly. "There's no reason to panic."

"I'm still stuck in here with a traitor!"

"No. You aren't." Kirigiri looks to Munakata. "If you don't mind, allow me to tell them."

"..." Tell them? Even Gekkogahara? "...If you think that's wise."

"Don't worry. I'll make it brief."

Kirigiri goes about explaining the situation to all the survivors, minus Tengan who has disappeared. She conveniently skips over the parts about Gekkogahara being an unwelcome spy and the robotic body. And the Gekkogahara they see has no reason to question it. If anything, she seems to buy it.

Perhaps the Gekkogahara believes that she was able to stay hidden in every timeline. All Kirigiri says on the matter is that Gekkogahara died in the original timeline.

"H-How did I die...?" Gekkogahara asks, turning to Munakata.

This must be a test or a trick question. To see how much she should be afraid of them. To see how much they know about her robotic body.

"I don't know." Munakata says simply. "All I know is someone killed you. I don't know who."

And in a way, it isn't a lie. He's not really sure who killed her, just that someone did. And already has here as well; Gekkogahara was dead from the start. He knows he can't save Yukizome, or Gekkogahara. And Tengan, if he can be apprehended will be in jail... which is more than he deserves at this point.

"I... I see..." The Monomi on the screen seems to pout.

"I couldn't save you, but I did want to do right by you." Munakata adds. "The same goes for all of you."

Kirigiri's explanation, as short as it is, still takes up a considerable chunk of their time. Gozu is getting anxious. He's not sure if he should expect Tengan to be alive or not, or the mastermind or not, but, he's not sure what to think.

Kirigiri has also left out some of the bigger details, things that might confuse people or make them mistrustful. Things like Izayoi being killed by Ando herself. And some things that Munakata himself had avoided telling her, like Sakakura's betrayal... But she does mention Sakakura and his death as part of the narrative.

That still tugs on Munakata's heartstrings considerably.

"There's... There's no way any of that's true!" Ando glares. "You guys are making things up!"

"For what purpose?" Kirigiri asks. "If anyone wanted to kill you, you were asleep and helpless. As it stands, no one was killed because there were no monitors to induce a suicide."

"...Tengan may be dead." Gozu has listened patiently, but he interjects here. "We cannot forget that fact."

"Then the obvious suspect is that one." Kizakura points to Gekkogahara. "Right?"

"Wha-? Me?" The rabbit seems to fret.

"W-Well..." Asahina tries to play along. "She was the one who went with him, that's true... But... But if she were the attacker, then wouldn't she stand out? It was just her and Tengan..."

"And she's in a wheelchair." Izayoi says blankly.

"Yeah! That too! There's no way it's Gekkogahara!"

Sakakura gives her a scary look, telling her she's overplaying her hand here. She retreats a bit sheepishly.

"Wait..." Mitarai says quietly. "Isn't... it possible that someone killed him and came back here...?"

He hasn't really processed the part about the Hope video, or his part in the whole thing. As per instruction, Naegi is right by his side.

"It's possible, certainly." Kirigiri smiles. "But, in the evidence of everything else... I don't think Munakata is lying here."

"But..."

"He was able to tell everyone's NG code. He knows what's happening. I think it's safe to believe him."

"Well, I don't. All that means is that Munakata's the traitor." Ando stares hard at him.

"You better back off." Sakakura says loudly. "Munakata is sick, he can't hurt anyone in his condition."

"Maybe that's an act!"

"Kimura felt his temperature for herself! So did I! If you want to feel for yourself, go ahead. You want proof? Go feel his forehead!"

"Sakakura, that's enough." Munakata says quietly. "...Ando, you're afraid I'm betraying you, but you did come to trust me in one of the timelines. Can you come to trust me in this one?"

"I... I don't even know what to say to that!"

"It would sound strange if I repeated it, but you're worried about being abandoned and betrayed. If anyone had wished you harm, you would have been killed already."

"More than that..." Naegi says, now venturing into the fold. "He's the one who told Bandai to cover his eyes."

"True, true!" Bandai says loudly. "You saved my kettle, Munakata!"

"...And... He told Kizakura to tape his left hand closed."

"...That's also true." Kizakura stretches. "I'm not sure I trust everyone in this room but... I trust Munakata. For now."

There's a carefree look in his direction. Does that mean he trusts him absolutely? He must have been able to say something to help.

"..." Ando looks to Munakata.

"I don't want you to die, Ando. I don't want anyone to die. You... are all my friends." Which sounds like the fever talking, considering they were at each other's throats not that long ago in this timeline. "If you don't trust me, it's fine. You can stay here but..."

"No. I... I don't want to stay here." She says before looking to Izayoi. "Do you... trust him?"

"Not sure." He says simply. "But... I don't know why he'd lie."

"The more interesting part of this is..." Kirigiri says redirecting the attention of the room. "...that none of us killed each other, and Tengan is missing, but not dead... yet."

"Unless, he wasn't the mastermind at all." Gozu crosses his arms. "I would like to go look for him if possible."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Munakata says quickly. "He... I'm fairly certain he attacks you in a different timeline if he thinks you're onto him."

Or Gekkogahara does. He'd like to keep him away from both of them, if possible.

"...He may be injured. Or he may have fallen victim to the suicide videos..." He says before looking around. "Assuming there is an external mastermind, would they tell us someone had died, like with Yukizome?"

"..." Sakakura clenches his jaw. Thinking about that... Realizing that Tengan had somehow recorded that Monokuma message with someone's death already in mind...

"I doubt it." Izayoi says quietly. "Make us hate each other. Make us fear each other. That's the goal."

"The less information we're given, the more our imaginations get the better of us?" Asahina asks and Izayoi nods. "...It's not like that other killing game."

"That's true. We never heard a Body Discovery Announcement for Yukizome." Naegi says as if he's just realized that.

"...I'm just glad we don't actually have to deal with a class trial."

"I think we need to get going for now." Munakata says. "A team should go to the breaker room... Gekkogahara, you and some others should go to the communication room to see if you can get in touch with the outside."

"Okie dokie!"

"Wait, you are _not_ going anywhere." Sakakura looks at Munakata. "You're not well enough to be..."

"I'll be fine."

"Your... fever is too high. This much stress will..." Kimura says.

"I'll watch over him. Mitarai, Naegi, would you join me in that group?" Kirigiri says calmly. Although she's rather be on the front lines doing something, she needs someone with a level head to watch Munakata and also keep an eye on Mitarai, just in case.

"What about me?" Sakakura looms scarily.

"You should go to the generators and shut them down." Kirigiri says quickly. "In fact, Asahina, Gozu, you should go too. As the athletes, you stand the best chance of getting there the quickest."

"Right! I can do that." Asahina nods.

Munakata seems to react with the idea of Sakakura going to the generators again.

"I'll go with them." Kimura looks to Munakata. She can sense his trepidation. And she understands it, considering Sakakura had died in that room. "I'll... I can keep them safe."

She hands Asahina a vial of something that will lessen the effects of the poison, just in case. If she can't be hit, and they can't avoid it... It's better for her to be protected.

"Thanks! I owe you donuts!" Asahina smiles, and Kimura withers.

"I... I can't... have sugar..."

"Then... Then I owe you something sugar free!"

...

"O-Okay!" Kimura with cheer that makes Ando roll her eyes.

"I will go." Gozu nods. "Tengan may be hurt. If I follow his trail..."

"Tengan's the mastermind. Get it through your thick skull." Sakakura snaps at him.

"Your evidence is persuasive. But I want to hear it from the man's own lips. If all of this... was for Hope... No. I need to know what all of this was for."

"Gekkogahara, you should go with Kizakura, Bandai, Izayoi, and Ando."

Ando crosses her arms but doesn't make a fuss. She can trust Izayoi. Bandai can't see. And Gekkogahara's in a wheelchair. She really doesn't think very highly of Kizakura.

"You think that's a good idea...?" Kizakura is reluctant to let Kirigiri go on her own.

"I'll look after her. Besides... the infirmary is much safer than where you're going... is it not?" Munakata counters. For a brief moment, that cunning smirk on Kizakura's face slips.

"You're the boss, boss..."

Sakakura walks up to him and roughly places the vial of medicine into Munakata's hand.

"You better stay alive."

"...Will you punch me in another timeline if I don't?" He gives a weak smile. Not like he could, even if he wanted to.

"That's not funny."

"No. It isn't. I'm sorry." He takes a deep breath. "For your sake, and for Yukizome's... I can't die yet."

"...You should be living because you want to. Not just for my sake."

"..." Munakata deflects that. "I promise, I'll be careful."

...

Something about that makes Sakakura incredibly nervous. There's a feeling in the pit of his stomach that tells him he shouldn't let him go.

"...Munakata." He gives him a hard look. He forces a dry swallow.

"You're running out of time. I'm trusting you."

"...Fine."

With one last glance, he moves away with Asahina, Gozu, and Kimura, ignoring the dread eating away at him.

~ ~ ~

"...How... do we get out of here...?" Mitarai asks.

Their time is running low again, but Munakata hopes that the others will be able to do the jobs assigned to them. He isn't exactly sure how much medicine he's supposed to take, or if he's taken too much as it is. It was a stupid mistake to make, and he's not sure how many more of those he can make before all hell breaks loose.

"You'll be fine." Kirigiri says firmly.

"But if I..." Mitarai looks to Munakata. "You say I... use my ability to...?"

"Yes. You did it the first time, and the other times as well. But you don't when there's someone to protect you and make you feel less afraid."

"...Then I'm a coward in every timeline." He says bitterly. "I run away or I... use people..."

"..." Munakata doesn't answer. He can't say that's not true, but it's what he's done to survive. He's also done some unpleasant things in the name of survival. "As long as you don't do it this time, there shouldn't be a problem."

That they even let him have his phone at this stage in the game was a conscious show of trust and good faith. Although it's not the one he would have chosen, Kirigiri was very insistent on it.

And... She had earned his trust on this matter.

Still, he feels anxious. He'd made it to the second part of things before; being awake, sleeping once, then being awake. And on the second part of wakefulness, that was when things always went wrong.

Being away from Sakakura is terrifying, and especially when he's going to the generators to pull the breakers. But he isn't alone this time. He... He'll be fine, Munakata tells himself.

And if Sakakura does die, he won't die alone, and he won't die feeling abandoned. At least there's that. At least... At least that.

"Munakata, you look troubled." Naegi says. He's... Naegi's surprisingly resilient for someone who nearly faced execution earlier. And he's already forgiven him. "What's wrong?"

"...I don't like the idea of Sakakura going to where he died the first time."

"..." Naegi doesn't have a response.

"Thank you. I always forget to say it. But, thank you. I owe you for that time." Munakata says in his direction.

"For... For what time?"

"When I... stab Sakakura... I leave him for dead." He admits sadly. "You're the one who tells me that Sakakura wasn't Despair. And that's... that's why I'm here now. I think. Because I know better. I couldn't save him, because I came late, but... Maybe there's more time now. Thank you, for the opportunity."

"I... I didn't really do anything." Naegi shifts uncomfortably. "But, according to how you and Kirigiri say it, Sakakura's the one who saved me from the suicide video. He's the reason I'm alive, and so he's the reason I got to tell you at all. But... He'd... cut off his hand, right?"

"...Yes." It was Sakakura all over. What a fool. Didn't he value himself more highly than that...? "It was all for me... To figure out what was happening, to get me out of the game."

"Then you're not in debt with me. Because you're here trying to save everyone. If anything, me telling you about Sakakura is repaying him... So... There's no debt."

"He's always looking out for me, but I was too blinded by my own... my own Despair to see it... How do you manage to believe in everyone so easily? I don't understand it." Munakata says quietly.

"It's... It's really not like that..."

"You believed in everyone during the first killing game, even though it nearly cost you your life multiple times. You've been betrayed both by that Idol, and by Kirigiri herself to keep Enoshima from killing her. You trusted in the kids from Class 77, even though you knew they were fully Despair, and they end up waking up cured. And you still sit here trusting me and everyone else around you, even knowing that I would have put you to death without a second thought."

"..."

"Naegi is the Super High School Level Hope." Kirigiri smiles. "He believes in people, because sometimes that's exactly what they need to change. Even if they don't deserve it."

"..." Mitarai looks away. 

He doesn't deserve that either. They must have known about himself and Enoshima, to understand the gravity of his powers to brainwash people. And they weren't turning him away. They were only trying to protect themselves from him. And... he's still not sure if he would use his video to brainwash people into becoming his allies if given the chance, or not.

"I believed in Yukizome, unequivocally. And she was Despair. But I doubted Sakakura, who was no threat to anyone. How am I supposed to build a world of Hope if I can't see friend from foe...? Why is my vision so limited...? Why am I so full of Despair that even I can't see it?"

"...It's not easy. But I think everyone has Despair. Some people use it as a weapon, but... I think you want to use yours to make Hope for others. You were given a chance to do something good now. I think... I think the universe or something has placed their Hope in you for a reason."

Munakata is struck by Naegi's words. But...

"No. That's not possible. The only people who believe in me that strongly are Sakakura and... Yukizome, who died. I... I think this is my punishment. I'll just see everyone die over and over again, until fever or exhaustion take me. I can't die, and Sakakura can't die. Those are the only rules. Maybe I'll get to the point where I die moments after I start a new timeline, over... and over..."

Mitarai shakes hearing these kinds of words.

A punishment. Being forced to live in a hell of his own design - literally. That... That has been his life, and still, he can't break free of it. 

"Aren't you giving up?" Naegi stares at him hard. "If you want to be Hope, then you have to keep going. Even if it's a punishment, can't you also turn that to your advantage?"

"...Naegi would know all about that." Kirigiri gives a polite chuckle.

"I want to believe that." Munakata says, more to himself than anyone else. But he's not sure that he does. Doubt still clouds his mind. "...But I can't live on mere platitudes."

...

When the conversation cannot continue forward, they sit in quiet as the time counts down. They'll be asleep soon. And then... And then what will happen?

Munakata finds himself hoping that Sakakura is safe. And wishing he were here after all. Please be safe, a silent whispered prayer to some merciful deity that is perhaps punishing him even now.

The timer slowly counts down... And then...

Nothingness envelops him.

...

~ ~ ~

Then...

...

Hazy foggy sleeplessness overtakes him, beneath the dim glow of the monitor.

The... monitor?

Munakata is startled awake with the realization that he's... awake. And beneath the monitor. Someone... Someone had moved him to an active monitor! 

As the suicide video plays, he finds himself unable to move away. As the Monokuma on the monitor gloats about how the attacker is him - or, rather, the "attacker" is anyone who watches the suicide video - ...Munakata's mind reels with the possibilities.

He tries to struggle his way away from it, but...

"No... This can't..."

...

The world seems to disappear and he's... back there...

Back...

Hope's Peak Academy towers above all the other buildings in the urban area.

It is said, that a student who can attend Hope's Peak Academy and graduate will be successful, no matter what. That's what everyone says. And...

And yet...

"What are you spacing out for?" Sakakura's voice is quite loud. The cherry blossoms are falling. "Come on. We graduated, it's time to go."

"Don't be so insensitive." Yukizome scowls at him. "He should take all the time he needs. Because..."

The air goes dark around him and his eyes widen.

As if on some strange video, the backdrop changes drastically. Vibrant sunshine is replaced by red skies of smoke and ash. The flowering cherry blossoms are replaced by bare trees, some scorched or charred.

Hope's Peak Academy in ruins.

The children he didn't know the names of run past, bloodied, but only he seems alarmed by it.

_It was me! ♥_

Turning around, to see Yukizome... is not... the Yukizome he recognizes. Something... Someone different.

"This is your fault, Munakata." She says with an incongruous smile. "You couldn't save anyone. Why is that?"

"Yeah, man, you really fucked up this time." Sakakura's bloody stump hits his shoulder as if Sakakura was going to place his hand there supportively. "What were you doing all this time?"

"We trusted you." Yukizome is still smiling. "The world trusted you."

"Even you know when you're wrong, don't you, Munakata?" 

Sakakura begins to walk from behind him into his field of vision and stands next to Yukizome. Their poses are friendly. 

Yukizome stands sweetly, holding her hands in front of her.

Sakakura has struck a more macho pose, rubbing his neck with his right hand.

Both of them are smiling.

"I..." Munakata can hardly speak.

Looking around, he sees the other members of the Future Foundation. Those who had died.

"Munakata, we trusted you! We never stopped believing in you." Bandai says with a squeaky voice and bright smile, before the one eye seems to pop with blood. "Like moths follow stars!"

"But it seems we were wrong in the end..." Gozu, tangled in wires, bleeding out before him under the mask. "You were not the greatest Hope of our age."

"And... you couldn't save anyone..." Kimura's long hair hides the sad expression, dripping with water and blood. "...I couldn't... And you couldn't either... Even... Even you."

"My, my..." Kizakura's bloated purple face is more visible when he lifts up his head and adjusts his hat. "Weren't you going to save the world and protect everyone...? Go back and forth a hundred times, and you still can't do it. Maybe this is what your hell is. Don't you deserve that much...?"

"Ha-wa-waah... Was Hope just a lie...?" Monomi's voice comes from a bisected robotic hunk of scrap metal. A face that wasn't human that almost manages to look human, is in two pieces on the ground. "Were you lying to us all this time? You got all our hopes up... Is that the kind of friend you are...? There's just... no Hope anywhere...!"

"But you were right about some things. You just can't trust anyone." Ando is slashed up and candy falls from her mouth as she speaks, scattering over the ground like confetti. "Not your friends, not the Future Foundation, not Hope... Certainly not yourself."

"Mm..." Izayoi nods, eye bleeding, by Ando's side again. "You'll never learn. This is punishment."

"Perhaps it is the arrogance of youth, to think that the world can be fixed by just one man." Tengan says, throat slashed, hand cut down the middle. "Although, maybe that means we are more similar than we would like to admit."

"I'm... not..."

"That is why I leave the Hope of this world to Mitarai. Because Hope is ultimately worthless... People are cowards and will soon turn on each other. Isn't it better to give the future to those who are capable...? Or did you really think that that was you... Oh, Munakata... You didn't really think you were anyone's salvation, did you...?"

...

"You know, it is a bit lonely to leave..." Yukizome says, bloodied now and with the wound from his own sword. "Graduation makes me feel a bit sad too..."

"We made a vow that we'd always go together, right? There's no reason to be so sad." Sakakura says, blood oozing from his stomach, left hand missing.

They look like... the versions of themselves that they were when they'd died. And not the versions of themselves from high school.

The others in the Future Foundation seem to be smiling around him, laughing a distorted echo chorus.

"Then, this is the end." Yukizome smiles sadly and looks to Munakata.

"Yup, this is goodbye. The last goodbye." Sakakura looks to him too.

It's Yukizome who steps forward first. And as if in slow motion he can see a version of her dropping from the chandelier again. The Yukizome in front comes up and hugs him gently.

"All my life I was waiting for someone like you to come along... And all you ever did was bring me disaster. You were wrong about it all... About Hope... and about me too..." She smiles up at him, eyes crazed swirls of Despair. "There was nothing good or worthy about you, was there? All you have is an empty Hope, and no faith in yourself or your friends. Maybe you were programmed wrong at birth? Maybe that's why you're all alone now. You don't deserve happiness, but somehow you're still alive..."

Sakakura smiles and shakes his head, nonchalantly putting his hands in the pockets of his coat; the left side fills and darkens with blood. As he approaches, he also hugs him, tightly. He can see a version of him stabbing Sakakura through the stomach, letting him drop, and walking away... And then... again, dead still stuck to the lever. The last words he'd ever said to him, ones of anger. And...

"I gave up everything for you. My career as a Boxer, my title, my post at Hope's Peak, my pride, my hand, and my life... And you still turned me away. If I were Yukizome, you would never have stabbed me like that, would you? Is it because you're repulsed by me after all...? Did you do anything to earn my love? My devotion? Anything at all? What have you ever done for me except ruin everything I had...?"

Their hug is loving, but the words behind them are cruel. Sweet words spitting venom into all his emotional wounds.

Their words come at him from either side, one emotional punch after another. Her voice, then his.

"I only wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, Kyosuke ♥!" Yukizome laughs.

"I only wanted to protect you, and make your dreams a reality... Kyosuke." Sakakura smiles.

"I wanted to be by your side."

"I wanted to save you."

"I wanted to inspire you."

"I wanted you to look at me like you look at her."

"To care for you."

"To be included."

"To have you protect me, and save our world."

"To feel like you cared about me, for once."

"To have you all to myself."

"To have your love."

"To be trusted."

"To be accepted by you, my best friend."

"To be admired and valued, for all the things I've done for you."

"To have you in my arms, if only once."

"To see your Hope blossom."

"To feel like Hope was real, and to fix my mistakes."

"And you were wrong." Yukizome kisses his cheek.

"You were wrong about everything." Sakakura kisses his other cheek.

"And you don't deserve to live." Their words come out in unison.

...

The echo chorus of his friends... Their images, swirl around him.

"Munakata..." A whisper.

"It's okay to give up."

"You weren't up for the task..."

"You can't trust them, or yourself!"

"Munakata."

"Just let go."

"Like embracing a dream within a dream!"

"Munakata..."

"I love you, Kyosuke."

"You were my Hope. Kyosuke."

"Why don't you see...?"

"...Munakata?"

"Why can't you tell...?"

"This is why you're alone."

"Munakata!"

"This is why you're always alone..."

"Give up, and hope you don't start over."

"Because you'll just keep failing."

"That's all you ever do, Kyosuke."

"Stay here with us."

"We'll keep you company. Forever."

"Forever."

"Let go..."

The figure of... himself... One eye down, wrapped in bandages, and cut up from previous battles. The remaining eye is black and empty, a zealot of Hope. Eliminate Despair at all costs. Just... Just like Tengan.

The figure comes close to them, and Sakakura and Yukizome smile to him like greeting an old friend.

The sword in his hand raises towards his right eye, in perfect Despair-inducing symmetry.

"I only see Despair in you. How foolish. You steeped yourself in Despair, in the name of Hope, and all you got was dirty. I can see it. Despair has claimed your heart. You are nothing but a burden now. A disease to be purged." The sword is readied in his hand. The other Munakata stares him down. "...Only death awaits... one who has proven so utterly useless. If you had any honor, you'd do it yourself."

Do it... himself...?

Do it... himself...

That's... That's right...

He should... do it himself. He should... bring an end to it all. And let it be done. Let it be over.

And then he'd be able to see Yukizome and Sakakura again. He'd be able to apologize, if only he did away with himself.

"Are you scared?" Yukizome asks, cuddling into him.

"We'll help you." Sakakura smiles at him, sweat and blood streaking his face.

Munakata's hand shakily extends to the sword, gripping the blade with his palms.

"That's right. You won't be lonely."

Yukizome's hands take the blade.

"You won't be lonely anymore. You'll have us."

Sakakura's hand takes the blade.

...

"I'm sorry." Munakata says sadly, tears streaming down his face as he holds the blade. "I only know how to get it wrong. I hurt everyone around me... I've only brought Despair to the world... But if this will set me free... If this will... help the world..."

The scream comes out in his voice, but he isn't sure if he's screaming now or... How any of this is happening...?

There's only Yukizome and Sakakura. Hands readied to deliver him. And then, he can see them both again. And say all the things he never got to say.

And... maybe...

Maybe the world is better off this way? Maybe the world makes more sense this way...

Without him in it.

With his two best friends...

"Yes. That's right."

"Forever... Kyosuke..."

"Depend on us. This one last time."

"You'll be free..."

"No more fear."

"No more Hope."

"And no more Despair."

...


	9. Soft Reset (3 of 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> **Soft Reset - Recall the End**  
>  Part 3 of 4
> 
> \- - - 
> 
> This chapter may be mildly upsetting for some people. It's not as dark as the last chapter, but I want to just say it here to read with caution especially if you're a squeamish person. Lord knows I am, but I did my best not to be too graphic so just... be aware.
> 
> I had a hard time writing this for lots of different reasons, so I hope it came out okay in the end!

Had he made a mistake, leaving Munakata alone?

Would he know if something happened to him for real? And if something did happen, if Munakata died... would the world simply cease to exist without him? Would Munakata end up in a different timeline, leaving him in a world devoid of his presence?

His mind can't calm down as he runs as fast as he can down the hallways, blood dripping down his sleeve, making a bloody trail as it goes. The hallway seems to sway, and he pushes back the nausea and dizziness, unable to stop moving.

Even when the whole world tilts to the left and he finds himself colliding with the wall, he presses his hand - or what used to be his hand - against the wall and pushes off, continuing to sprint.

If Munakata can just hold on... If he can stay safe...

If he can see him upset at such an unreasonable thing to do to himself, unharmed... then that would be worth it too.

Sakakura smiles in spite of himself. Munakata is going to hate this. He's going to be so angry. But he'll be alive, and safe. And he'll accept that anger if it means he doesn't have to worry about his safety.

Sakakura looks to his left hand... Gone. Removed.

A wave of nausea hits him, but he wills himself not to look at it. The sleeve of his jacket has been tied in a simple but tight knot to keep the pressure up on his arm. As far as tourniquets go, it's not too bad, given the short supply of resources. Kimura's belt is applied higher as a tourniquet but he was still afraid he was losing too much blood and had to use his jacket.

Thankfully he can't really feel the pain. He definitely owed Kimura. But... But if he kept bleeding like this, maybe the anesthetic would leave his system with the blood loss.

"Can't... Can't think about that now..."

It occurs to him that maybe he doesn't know where he's going. Because the infirmary is the logical choice, but maybe Munakata isn't there?

If... If he's not, then where would he be...?

All he can do is run as fast as he can towards the infirmary and hope against hope that Munakata is alright.

The infirmary is just as he remembers it... Except Munakata is not there.

Panic seizes up in his chest. He'd thought the open door was for Munakata's sake but...

Kirigiri, Naegi, and Mitarai... are all slumbering now. And Munakata is nowhere to be seen.

He curses under his breath. At the very least, he hadn't seen anyone else on his way. He was sure his blood trail made a very obvious marker for where he had and hadn't been. If there was nowhere else to go but forward, then he'd go forward.

How long had everyone been asleep? How long had he been running...? How much time was left until everyone woke up? And how much time was left for Munakata?!

"Stay alive... Please, please, stay alive..."

He knows he's leaving bloody smears that are going to alarm Kirigiri when she wakes up, but he's far past the point of caring. Munakata couldn't have just woken up and walked away, right...? So, someone had taken him. And they were probably going to use the monitors because... why not just kill him as he slept if that was the goal? Was it Tengan? Gekkogahara...? How many monitors had been destroyed? How far out had they been searching for monitors to destroy...?

Did he even need to worry about monitors? Because, it's possible that Munakata was wrong, right? Maybe the monitors weren't...

"No... He... He was right about everything else, but..."

But it meant that someone else had gotten involved. Somehow. There was no way that Kirigiri or Naegi would have let Munakata wander around on his own. No way at all.

Despite the pain that he's going to feel, and how angry Munakata will be, he finds himself smiling because it means that he made the right choice. At least there's that...

"Don't let me be too late..." He asks to nothing in particular under his breath.

Please, don't let it be another mistake he can't make up for. Not again.

And then...

He hears the scream. And he'd know that voice anywhere.

Now he just has to run towards it...!

~ ~ ~

Earlier...

An indeterminate amount of time before this...

The four of them - Sakakura in the lead, Asahina, Gozu, and Kimura - go towards the power room. Shutting down the power is the most logical plan.

"...I wish we could have gotten the power off sooner." Asahina mutters gloomily. "Things would be so much easier without these on."

"According to Munakata, every time we did it first, something went wrong." Sakakura grumbles. "Still... This is the first time he told everyone."

"..." Gozu listens patiently, scanning the area. "Then, you do believe him."

"You just don't want to admit Tengan's a traitor." He crosses his arms.

"No. I don't. Because... Tengan is Hope." Gozu says simply. "That is what I have believed."

"It's... It'll be alright." Kimura looks up to him. "He'll... He'll have to answer to us... after this."

"Assuming he's actually alive." Sakakura says it rather insensitively.

They're making quick progress, which is surprising. Sakakura would have thought Kimura would be the slow one, but she's actually keeping up. 

"Hey." Asahina jogs up to him and whispers. "Maybe be a bit nicer?"

"...Not in my nature."

"Huh? You were the one looking after Munakata."

"He's different. Munakata doesn't treat his people like pawns. Tengan does. Gozu's just a pawn to him." Sakakura turns away. "And I don't like being sacrificed so someone else can play hero. I'm not his toy."

"That's..." Asahina can't exactly argue but...

"What, you like your bangle?" He says louder than he should. "You think Tengan would cry if you got killed? Why should I care about him? It'd be better for all of us if he got stuck in front of one of the monitors and just committed suicide."

"Sakakura, please..." Kimura says quietly.

"What? We're all thinking it!" He looks back to Gozu. "You picked the wrong person to support. What if he gets you killed? You prepared to die for him?"

"...If I heard right, Munakata killed you." Gozu answers simply. "Were our positions reversed, wouldn't you support Munakata as well?"

"..." He scoffs.

"Nothing has been proven. I need to know the truth. But I believe that Tengan is innocent until proven guilty."

"Believe what you want. Munakata's not wrong."

"This time, perhaps."

"Munakata is real Hope." Sakakura answers him sharply. "He's... He's going to save everyone and eliminate Despair."

"Tengan once made that same vow. Will you follow him into hell, Sakakura?"

"...I'm already here." He crosses his arms. "But... I know him. I believe in him. I know him better than any of you and... this Munakata... He's not lying or faking it. This... This is different. There's something different. And even if he did kill me in that other timeline... that doesn't matter at all."

"..." Asahina sighs loudly. The whole thing is very hard for her to deal with, just on an intellectual level, let alone the existential level. "A-Anyway... Isn't it weird that we... haven't been let out?"

"What... do you mean?" Kimura asks, now that the two men have retreated to quiet contemplation.

"Well, assuming Tengan is still alive... no one died, so we won. We should... be allowed out."

"Yeah. In a perfect world." Sakakura mumbles.

"...It may be too much to hope that the mastermind is like Enoshima." Gozu says quietly. The first killing game had been broadcast far and wide. "Whoever it is may not be an honorable sort."

"Tengan. Not 'whoever'. It's Tengan."

"..." A tense silence now permeates the group.

"Come on, let's not fight."

"I'm just saying. Tengan probably wants as much Despair as possible to force Mitarai to choose Hope. Nothing would make him happier if all of us got martyred for his cause."

"I wasn't saying you were wrong." Gozu takes a deep breath. "...I want to see it with my own eyes. Then I can believe it. Is that so hard to understand?"

"Yeah. It really is."

"...Sakakura, you were cast aside by Munakata in that first timeline based on assumption. If Tengan is hurt, or bleeding out somewhere, and if he's innocent and I cast him aside, I would not be able to forgive myself." Gozu speaks with quiet authority. He was listening to Munakata's story. And he does believe it. Most of it, anyway. "If it were you, would you not also-"

"Shut up." Sakakura glares. "It's not me. So I don't want to hear your hypotheticals."

"You may have reached an answer, but I have not. I don't want to be wrong. And I don't want Tengan to die, particularly not alone and abandoned."

...

The tension encroaches in on them again. Sakakura grits his teeth looking at the bangle. Kirigiri's explanation had gone on too long. At this rate, they wouldn't make it to the power room to shut things down until they woke up next.

If they ran, they'd probably lose Kimura. They'd just have to keep power walking as fast as they could.

The familiar dread in the pit of his stomach returns.

A flood of anxiety... If something happened, could he make it back in time...?

"...I need to go back." Sakakura says, trusting his instincts.

"What?" Asahina quirks a brow. "Go back where?"

"To Munakata. He's... He's alone."

"He... isn't alone. He has..."

"I don't want him alone if Tengan and Gekkogahara are out there skulking around somewhere!"

"...Gekkogahara?" Gozu asks, confused. This wasn't mentioned by Kirigiri.

"That's... a long story." Asahina says. She'd gotten the unabridged version from Kirigiri.

"Gekkogahara's dead. Some weirdo has a robot copy of her. She can basically move wherever she wants."

"...It doesn't make sense as a short story, Sakakura." She pouts.

"Hold, you... You believe Gekkogahara is...?"

"It's... It's true." Kimura says. "Or it's what Munakata believes. I... I don't have any reason to doubt his words. Not after everything else..."

"Then, Gekkogahara might have hurt Tengan after all." Gozu says, enraged.

"If we're lucky." Sakakura scoffs again, and Asahina elbows him.

He stares down at her. She's lucky she can't be hit.

"...Everyone... There's..." Kimura says, stopping. She points to something on the ground.

"What is it?" Gozu looks to her and then where she's pointing. The others stop as he walks over towards it. And picks it up. "This...! This is...!"

In his hand is a bangle. Unscathed, spotless, but deactivated and left open like a horseshoe, and clearly no one is attached to it.

"That... That must be Tengan's...!"

Everyone else had been wearing a bangle. Even Gekkogahara. That left only one option.

"How..." Gozu struggles to understand. There was no blood on it, no sign of forced removal, although that would have resulted in poisoning. "How could he have...?"

"He's the mastermind. He must... have a failsafe key to unlock the bangles!" Asahina deduces quickly. "Is... Is that possible?"

"...What other option could there be?" Kimura asks. "Only Gekkogahara was with him... He either... got it off himself, or she did..."

"But she said she didn't see him." Asahina frowns.

That might have been a lie. In fact, it's possible Gekkogahara was only pretending to be asleep and knew the whole time.

Unless there was some secret way to get the bangles off he'd discovered - and then decided not to share - Tengan had removed his bangle, somehow. There was no blood, and no poisoned body anywhere nearby. That... could only have meant he'd done it himself, and with a key, presumably. Or some kind of failsafe device

"...Gozu." Kimura looks to him.

"..." Gozu shakes with anger at this. This is... proof he really can't deny. "...He was Hope. What... What was all of this for... Is... Is this your Hope, Tengan... Did you use me after all...?"

"..." Sakakura would gloat, but there's really no point now. He grimaces. "...I need to go back."

"Huh? To Munakata?" Asahina flinches. "But..."

"Tengan is out there on the loose. The person who knew his plan all along... is out there. Fuck, I should have... He'd... He'd have noticed when... when he gave Bandai his tie... Fuck, he figured out Munakata knew. I... I need to..."

"There isn't enough time!" Asahina grabs his arm. "We... We either make a sprint towards the power room or..."

"We won't make it there in time." Gozu says, quietly defeated. "Not before we're put to sleep."

"I am _not_ letting him prowl around while Munakata's asleep! Not to mention Gekkogahara! If... If I don't go back he'll..."

"You'll... You'll be put to sleep too, though..." Kimura adds thoughtfully. "Even if you make it back in time, you'll still be asleep..."

"Then..." Sakakura looks to the bangle. There's... a grim thought. And... It must have also been something the other him had thought because... "...Then I'll keep myself from being put to sleep."

"What? How?" Asahina puts her hands on her hips.

"The only way I know how."

Sakakura... produces his knife.

This makes Asahina jump reflexively.

"Wh-What are you... going to do with that?!"

Sakakura ignores her as he slides his jacket off the left arm. Ignoring everyone, he pushes his way into one of the rooms and finds a reasonably clean desk. Almost boredly, he smashes the monitor in the room with his knife. It sparks and fizzles out.

There's a small pause as the others are unsure what he's going to do but... They then follow after him into the room.

Sakakura takes a deep breath and lays his arm onto the desk. The knife in his hand... his right hand... hovering over the left. He's starting to shake.

This is... really going to fucking suck.

"No... You... You can't do that!" Kimura's voice goes up an octave as she rushes to him.

"I have to!"

"No, you don't!"

"What... What's he doing...?" Asahina asks, brain not wanting to comprehend it.

"I'm taking myself out of this fucking game!"

"W-Wait... Please..." Kimura says frantically. "You'll... You'll bleed out... If you cut off your hand, you'll bleed out! Do you even know what you're doing?!"

"If you're not here to help, I want you to go away!"

"O-Oh God... I..." Asahina covers her mouth. "I... I think I'm going to faint. I..."

"Turn away." Gozu says to her and she does, dropping to her knees, shaking.

"You can't do this, you have no medical training, you could... You could..." Her eyes are watering. "You could die!"

"...Like I said, if you're not here to help, go away."

"Wait. I..." Kimura digs through her pockets. "Here, this..."

A bottle of something labeled Anaesthetic is suddenly thrust into his hands.

"Anaesthetic...?"

"If you're..." Kimura looks to him. "If you're serious then..."

Without really thinking, Sakakura takes the bottle and downs the contents.

He doesn't feel anything at all, but then... Things start to go numb and a bit hazy. It's a strange feeling.

"What... is this...?"

"It's... It will help with the pain... It doesn't put you under but..." She says calmly. 

"I can't hold the knife like this." He says through clenched teeth.

"I'll do it." Gozu says as he gently but firmly holds Sakakura's arm down. "...If you're sure."

"...He'll go after Munakata. If... If I know anything he'll..."

"..." Gozu puts his hand out for the knife. And... Sakakura hands it over. "You should close your eyes."

"I... I can't think of anyone else he'd want to harm. If he's going after anyone, it'd be Munakata... He knows his plan... He..."

"You needn't explain your reasoning. Close your eyes." Gozu says simply. "...If Tengan hurts anyone, it will be my fault as well."

"Wait... I..." Kimura pulls off her belt and quickly applies it around Sakakura's arm as a tourniquet. "This... will help stop the bleeding, but... Please come find me once we wake up. I... I can help from there but..."

"I got it."

"I'm... I'm sorry." She says quietly. "...This isn't right. You're... a Boxer. Your hands are..."

"Hurry up and do it, Gozu."

"...I... I won't be able to save your hand." Kimura says calmly, but sadly. There wasn't ice, or a sterile environment. It was also unclear when they'd be getting out of here. By then... it would probably be too late to reattach it. "I'm sorry. I won't... I can't..."

"Gozu. Now."

"Oh God, oh God..." Asahina is covering her ears and not looking, sitting and facing the opposite direction.

"...Close your eyes."

~ ~ ~

...

He'd rushed off as fast as he could once his hand had been removed and the bangle had slid off effortlessly. Although the anesthetic was powerful, he felt ill every time he saw the limb. At least the jacket covered it. He'd made Asahina pass out though, which he'd apologize for later.

Gozu had simply picked her up and the three of them went off towards the breakers in the power room, and Sakakura had rushed off for Munakata. 

By now... the three of them must have been asleep by now. There hadn't been that much time left on the clock.

It would be alright. It...

This was worth it. He just had to keep reminding himself. It was worth it. And... And...

He can only follow where the sound came from. The scream. The... the...

Ignore everything else, he commands himself as he runs. Ignore everything else and keep moving...!

...

And...

...

Sakakura rounds a corner and sees the figure there. And... hears it... him.

The sound of anguish. Crying, screaming, something muttered in panicked whispers and panting sobs.

Things he's never heard from Munakata before, even as he runs for him.

"I'm... I'm going to see them..." Munakata says, to no one. "I'm going to make... amends..."

Munakata has a dagger in his hands, dripping with blood, kneeling on the ground with the same frenzied cries he'd heard before. The monitor glows cruelly.

At first, Sakakura believes he's somehow injured himself accidentally, but when he sees Munakata raise the dagger again towards himself...

The suicide video...! The monitor!

Instinct floods his body so quickly, he doesn't realize what he's doing until he's tackled Munakata, hard. The dagger slides, and the sound of metal scraping against concrete echoes throughout the hallway, bathed in the dim lighting.

"...!"

"...This isn't you!" He finds himself shouting at a brainwashed Munakata, driven to madness.

Munakata pushes him off and scrambles to his feet, going for the dagger, and when that seems out of reach with Sakakura tugging on his leg and tripping him, he kicks Sakakura hard in the face and instead goes for his sword.

The world flashes with stars when he's kicked, and he feels warm blood drip from somewhere but it's not the first time he's been hit in the face. But unlike all the other times, unlike all the other opponents he's ever faced, being struck by Munakata fills him with terror and not anger. 

Because... this isn't Munakata.

Munakata, the Despair version, begins to move now.

"Stop it!"

Munakata stands and unsheathes his sword, but Sakakura scrambles to his feet quickly, pulling Munakata by the arm with his good hand and pulls him back in a wide semi-circle arc, slamming him into the hard wall. 

"I won't let you...!"

The sword clatters to the ground.

This close he... He can...

Munakata is... missing one eye... Horror washes over him, cold and empty.

His remaining eye is... crazed. This must be what Despair looks like, he thinks.

"I can... make amends..."

The Despair zombie in front of him is not the Munakata he idolized. This man is not his Hope!

"Amends... huh...? You're making amends?!" Sakakura growls under his breath, pulling Munakata forward by his shirt and then slamming him back against the wall. "You think this is how you make amends?!"

The madness diminishes but...

A solid punch to Munakata's jaw knocks the rest of it right off his face.

"You think this is how this ends?! You think I'd let you?! ...You're... You're supposed to be the one who saves us all! What the fuck else was all of this for?!"

Another solid punch, this one hurts less, but it still sends his senses reeling.

"...!"

He's... He's never punched Munakata like this...! But...!

"What the fuck did you think you were doing!" Sakakura's scream is an unsettling wakeup call, a mix of fear and relief, tears rolling down his face as he yells. "You think you get to run away now? You think this is how this ends?! You... Is your vision of Hope so fucking fragile...? I thought you were going to save the world and change the future with your own hands...! Was... Was that just platitudes?! Are you turning into him?! Because...!"

"Sa... Saka...kura..."

"You don't get to leave me now! You... You don't... You can't... How do I face Yukizome if I let her down twice?! You... You don't get to run away... I can't..." Sakakura's words seem to be reaching him, as Munakata stares back at him, terrified and distraught. "I want you to live...! You... You don't get to abandon me like this, not after everything...! I can't... I can't allow that... You made me a promise! We... We have... You have to live!"

_I want you to live! Even if I've been abandoned, I still want you to live! Munakata...!_

He can feel the words so clearly in his mind, but which one of them had said it... He can't recall, but... Sakakura...

"...What... What... did...? Sa...kakura..."

Munakata is dumbfounded by this, but the pain and the loss of vision hasn't hit him yet. All he can do is... stare, and then... he sees Sakakura's other hand is... no longer there...

"You..." The words clench in his chest, eyes still wet with tears. Sakakura embraces Munakata with all the force he can. "You are Hope!!"

...

Shocked realization. Followed by guilt.

Sakakura is still holding him, tightly against the wall with his right hand. Sakakura can see Munakata's eye has become normal and focused now. The... The real one. 

"Sakakura... I..." Are there words for this kind of situation...? "Are you.... Am... Am I...?"

Sakakura nods. He's... It's Munakata again.

"You are Hope...! You are...! You're... You're my Hope... So... So don't go... I can't... I can't let you down again... I can't let Yukizome down again... Just... Just stay here. Don't leave. Don't... Don't give into Despair. I... We still need you here. You're our Hope... You're my Hope. I'll protect... I'll... I can still..."

The man completely lets down his guard and all but collapses against him in wet sobs. Whether it's from relief, exhaustion, or blood loss, Munakata has to struggle to keep Sakakura from dropping against him like this with his legs buckling.

"It's... It's okay. I'm... I'm sorry I worried you." Munakata says, muffled by the jacket and having Sakakura so close to him. "I'm sorry... I... I don't know what came over me... It... It wasn't..."

"I... I know. I..." Sakakura tries to pull himself together, steadying himself a bit shakily, using Munakata as a crutch to stand upright. He does understand that the suicide video brings out something in people but... He never anticipated it would work that way for Munakata too. Not someone like Munakata... His right hand inspects Munakata's face. "Did I hurt you...?"

"Who... Who cares about that...?" Munakata is breathing heavily, bruised from the punches, but a small smile crosses his face.

"...I... I do!" Sakakura gives him a frail thin smile in return, hand resting against Munakata's left cheek.

The two of them share a weary laugh, forehead to forehead.

. . .

The monitor is slashed in two now, thanks to Munakata and his sword.

The two of them uneasily lean against the wall on the opposite side. Sakakura finds himself sinking into a sitting position against the wall, not necessarily his choice. His legs are shaking with relief and adrenaline. He can't feel any of the pain thanks to Kimura's anaesthetic, but he's sure he doesn't look good.

Munakata is certainly not doing much better at this point. A bloody mess, and the searing pain in his face makes it hard to focus.

"I'm... I'm sorry I hit you." Sakakura says to him as Munakata sits down next to him.

Both of them are breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry I needed to be hit."

"Your face..." Sakakura says, reaching over to turn Munakata's head towards him, but Munakata brushes his hand away as politely as possible. "...Your eye."

"It's alright."

"It's... It's fucking not alright. You need... You... need medical attention."

"You're one to talk. What did you do to yourself?!" Munakata snaps back suddenly and reaches over to Sakakura's left arm. "What were you thinking?!"

"I was... I was thinking, 'Well... I guess now's a good a time as any to become right-handed'... hah..." Sakakura's joke is poorly received.

"You hurt yourself. For me. Again."

"...Yeah. I did. Although, it... I had some help." He says with a small smile. "You're the one who needs to worry about yourself more..."

"Here." Munakata digs through his possessions and produces the Cure W that Kimura had given him. "Take this. Please."

"Save it. For your face."

"This is not a request. Take it. I... I can't see you bleed out... a-again." His voice wavers.

It was... just like the other timeline. The first one. Down an eye. And Sakakura down a hand.

Was this a cosmic joke? Because it wasn't funny.

Sakakura can see he won't be winning this argument, so he instead opens the vial, turning the cap with his teeth as he holds it in his right hand. When that's done, he rudely spits the cap away, and the plastic cap lands with a light clink, rolling some before toppling over like a coin.

At Munakata's insistence he drinks the Cure W concoction.

It tastes disgusting, but... But if it helps...

Not that he can feel much, but the damage to his arm is starting to repair, the wound starting to close. He can't regrow the hand, but... But at least he'll last longer.

"Here." He offers it to him. "There's some left. Take some. Before... Before you go into shock."

"...How are you not in shock...?"

"...Kimura gave me something pretty powerful. I'm... numb and tingly all over... It's going to hurt like a bitch later. But... here."

Although Munakata wants to tell him to drink the rest of it, there's also a part of him that isn't sure how to deal with the pain again. It had been bad enough the first time with Tengan. This... This was...

He takes the vial and downs the rest of it. It's not altogether gone, but the pain decreases and the wound starts to close and heal. Not that anyone can tell with the blood on his face.

"I'm sorry. You... You gave up your hand again."

"I'm glad I got to you in time. It... It would've been terrible if this were all for nothing." He says holding up his left arm.

They briefly discuss what had happened, and what Sakakura's team had found.

"How can I ever make this right...?" He says looking down. "I... I wanted to..."

"I'm still alive. And so are you... You don't need to worry about me so much. I'll survive. How's your..." Sakakura reaches over to feel his face again. "...I can't tell if you're still feverish or just like this from our fight and from getting your ass kicked."

"..." Although he wants to contest that remark... "I'm sorry we fought. That... That vision was..."

"It wasn't your fault. It was that Mitarai kid's right? Brainwashing and shit..." Never did care much for the kid but...

"No. It's not his fault. It was turned into a weapon, but he didn't intend it as one."

"You're starting to sound like the Naegi punk."

"It was you who said I was Hope. Maybe I should... rise to the occasion." Munakata smiles somewhat.

"...At least I'll be able to watch over you better like this. No bangle, no interference."

"...There are things I'd like to discuss about that, but it would be best to wait until everyone wakes up."

"We should... go then." Sakakura says shakily standing. "Maybe Kimura's got some more of that stuff for your face. Or some heavy-duty painkillers."

Sakakura goes to offer his left hand to help Munakata up. There's an awkward and painful silence. But then realizes his situation and offers the right hand instead.

"...Thank you." Munakata accepts the hand. And when he's up, he squeezes Sakakura's right hand tightly.

"I know... It's... It's gonna be weird, right? My handwriting's gonna be shit. Well. It already was..."

"...I know you're trying to make me laugh. But. Please don't."

"Sorry." Sakakura looks away. "I'm not good at people feeling bad for me. Especially not you."

"I don't feel bad for you, I feel angry at myself. I know I couldn't control it, but..." Munakata looks haunted by what he'd seen. "...I can't get the vision of it out of my head. Their words. They... weren't wrong."

"Tell me..." Sakakura looks at him as they begin to walk. Sakakura has some trouble walking with the anaeshtetic blurring his movements as adrenaline subsides, but Munakata is holding him steady. "It can't be stranger than alternate timelines..."

And it's not as strange as he's expecting. But still hard to listen to. It sounds like hell.

...And definitely not one he wants to experience himself.

"...Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You... You really think those things." Sakakura says it as if he's just realized it. Those thoughts don't come from nowhere. It's brainwashing, so it uses the person's thoughts against them. "You... You think you were wrong?"

"I... I've been wrong about a lot. Not just all of this. It's something I'll have to live with."

"I wish... I wish I could help." Sakakura is powerless against those kinds of feelings. They aren't something he can chase away for him. "But I don't blame you... I'm not blaming you for anything that's happened."

"Shouldn't you?"

"What good would that do? If you've got time to wallow, you've got time to fix it. That's... the kind of thing you'd say, right?"

"...I'm not sure I've ever said anything like that." Munakata quirks a brow.

"I'll never blame you for something like that. This... This is my punishment, not yours." He smiles sadly. "I deserve it, for Enoshima... And for letting you down. We can keep apologizing to each other all day, but it doesn't change what happened."

"..." Munakata keeps another apology to himself. "You don't deserve that. Your punishment should never have been... I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm trying to say."

"It's okay. When we get the bangles off, we can... focus on getting out of here. And then when you're safe, I'll breathe a little easier."

"...I haven't done anything to deserve that kind of devotion." Munakata parrots the suicide video. It still rings true for him.

"I told you, right? ...You are Hope." He's not sure what kind of face he'd make if he had to say it to his face, so he keeps his eyes facing forward. "...You're my Hope. You'd give up your life for Hope, right? ...Well, if I need to, I'll give up my hand... My life. For my Hope."

"I... don't know what to say to that, Sakakura."

"You are Hope. You don't need to say anything. It's just how I feel."

"...Thank you."

"Your face is a little scary now." Another attempt at humor. A shame Sakakura has never been good at it. "Good luck finding a date."

"I'll just need to find someone who's okay with eyepatches. Know of anyone?"

"..." Sakakura lets out a small huff of laughter. "There's at least one."

"We make quite a pair." Munakata's attempts at humor are far more humorous, but only because of how little it fits his serious persona. "Missing an eye, missing a hand... All we need is a parrot and we could be pirates."

"..."

"Not funny?"

"...Not really. But at least you're feeling okay enough to try. You're okay. That's all that matters."

"Thank you for saving me. Again." Munakata breathes a little easier. "I'll be worthy of you this time."

"Let's just live." He tries to smile, but it falters. "Okay?"

The rest would come later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This chapter kind of assumes that Sakakura is left-handed which is something that's more of a fandom-accepted headcanon? I don't know. I imagine he could also be ambidextrous but who knows.
> 
> (Also, the prompt does say that Munakata loses an eye and Sakakura loses a hand so... enjoy some parallels!)


	10. Soft Reset (4 of 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> **Soft Reset - Not All That Glitters is Hope**  
>  Part 4 of 4
> 
> \- - -
> 
> The next chapter will be the end of the Killing Game; and the final chapters (probably 2 or 3 of them) will be the epilogue and mostly fluffy aftermath + some smut so... Stay tuned!

"You really don't look good, we need to get you to Kimura."

"I'll be fine. Losing an eye is different from losing a hand."

"In what way?!" Sakakura says, too loudly. "You're... You could go into shock!"

"So could you."

They continue this kind of bickering until they reach the infirmary. They're still asleep, but Munakata doesn't want to disappear on them and have them be confused by his absence.

"...Just leave a note, or something."

Assuming Kirigiri would believe the note was real, it wasn't a terrible idea. As long as the bloody splotches everywhere from the two of them weren't going to alarm anyone, it would be fine.

Munakata's note is as concise as he can be, writing on a doctor's notepad. The infirmary was pretty convincing, for a secret copy Tengan had made. At least he could use it against him.

The note is roughly explaining that he was attacked by "someone", and that Sakakura helped him, a brief explanation of the injuries they'd sustained, and that they were going to the power room to find Kimura. Munakata signs it. And... to add some credibility, he gets Sakakura to sign it too, even though his handwriting is messier than usual, for obvious reasons.

It's not a great plan, at least not for Sakakura, but they don't really have any other option.

They also make sure to grab some of the bandage rolls before they go.

At least, the others in the infirmary are fine.

...

"You're starting to sway." Munakata looks at him seriously.

"Sorry... I..." Sakakura tries to ignore the look he's giving him. "I'm..."

"Is the anesthetic wearing off?"

"...A little. But..." Sakakura looks to his left arm. There's still blood dripping, slower than it would have without the tourniquet but... Kimura was a Pharmacist, not a doctor. Her medical knowledge was more scientific than practical. It was like asking a chemist to perform surgery. "...But I can still keep going."

"If you need me to carry you..."

"..." There's a look of annoyance, that's softened by bashfulness. "I'm not that helpless."

"I mean it, if you're-"

"I can still go on. Don't..." There's a pause there, as he tries to put it into words. "I know you want to help, but seriously that would... I can't have you do that. It would..."

"I don't care about your pride. I need you alive." He says definitively, although he feels bad for saying it. It isn't that Sakakura's pride is unimportant, but... He won't allow it to get in Sakakura's own way. "...I need you alive. No matter what."

"...I'm... I'll be fine. At least for now. I can keep going." Having Munakata worried about him was... flattering. It made him happier than he could say, but if he made Munakata actually carry him, he'd just be in the way. "I won't be another burden for you."

"You've never..." But Sakakura isn't listening, trudging on ahead. "..."

It would take too long to argue, and really, Munakata isn't sure if he should be trying to pick Sakakura up in his own condition. The pain in what used to be his eye is still throbbing, and he's only able to keep it at bay because... Because that other Sakakura must have been in so much more pain...

He can't let him down now.

~ ~ ~

The others must have woken up, because as they walk, they can see Asahina rushing towards them.

"You're both okay...!" She practically collapses in front of them from her sprint. It must have been a mad dash following the blood trail. "Thank God... I... I was so worried."

"Did something happen?" Sakakura asks, extending his right hand to help her back up.

"No, no, nothing like that... We..." Asahina stands with his help. Her sad turns sad looking at his left hand. "We... woke up, and... Gozu and Kimura went on to go shut things down and..."

"But you're all okay?" He interjects. "No one... died?"

"No. Not... Not one of us in any-" She looks to Munakata and covers her mouth in horror. "What happened?!"

"..." Munakata is going to have to get used to this. It was going to be like this, every time. Compared to having to explain things like timelines and suicide videos to people, it was easy enough. "I'm alright now."

"He..." Sakakura tries to explain it, as best as possible. "He ended up in front of the monitor, but... I was able to help this time."

"I... W-Well..." Asahina doesn't really understand, but... "You two need medical attention! We... Come on. Let's go find Kimura!"

Munakata takes a deep breath. Sakakura is looking pale. They... do need to get help. Hopefully, Gekkogahara had stuck to the charade and gotten a call for help out.

As they're going along together, Asahina keeps looking back at them with worried expressions.

Asahina tries to keep them both lucid as they walk.

"Hey, Sakakura..."

"What?"

"...What's the first thing you're going to do when you get out of here?" She asks brightly. Thinking of the future might help keep him afloat.

"Go to the hospital." A blunt answer.

"W-Well... After that?"

"...Take a shower."

"..."

"And then get my jacket cleaned."

"...I'll have it dry cleaned if you like." Munakata volunteers.

"You don't have to do that."

"It is my fault. I should at least-"

"Well... Okay, but what's the first thing you're going to do when you get out of here that isn't all of that!" Asahina is very insistent with her questioning.

"Well... Assuming I'm not drowning in painkillers and antibiotics by then..." A deep weary sigh. "Get very fucking drunk, I hope."

"Really? You were never a big drinker." Munakata is surprised to hear his answer.

"...I feel like I've earned it."

...

After some time walking, the lights begin to go out. And then, the bangles beep and detach from their wrists... minus Sakakura's.

"Ah?" Asahina looks at her wrist. "They're off! Yay! We did it!"

"Yeah... We did it." Sakakura sighs more easily now. "Then... It was worth it... Munakata would've..."

"Yes. I'm not sure what would have happened if you hadn't come for me."

"Hey, hey! Hero-man." Asahina points at Sakakura. "When we get out of here, I'm getting you some donuts!"

"...Donuts?" He makes a face. That's so... specific.

"So many donuts!"

"You may want to rethink that." Munakata adds with a smile. "Sakakura has quite the sweet tooth."

"...Why did you have to tell her that?!"

"It's true, isn't it? Cakes, cookies, ice ceam, candy... If it's sweet, he'll eat it." Munakata laughs and that catches them both off guard. "Sakakura has always-"

"Quit talking." He looks away.

"It's a bit surprising but..." She looks squarely at him. "You and me are gonna eat so many donuts! Until we get fat!"

"..."

If it hadn't been two athletes, they might already be fat.

"You two are very similar..." Munakata finds himself smiling.

"Don't compare me with the spaz." Sakakura says, ignoring the teasing before walking ahead.

"Wh- You... You're lucky you're injured! Or I'd give you a taste of the Asahina knuckle-sandwich special!"

"I'm a Boxer. If you think you can KO me, you've got another thing coming."

"Yeah? Well, I'm glad you like sweet things because you're gonna get a side order of my super special Asahina jawbreaker uppercut!"

"I could bench press you."

"Have you seen these guns?! I could win wars with these, you know! I'm a weapon of mass destruction!"

"If you're planning on pounding back that many donuts, you might want to focus on the Battle of the Bulge, Asahina."

...Too similar. Way too similar.

. . .

Sakakura practically demands that Kimura looks at Munakata first, but then Munakata counters it.

With Gozu and Asahina keeping watch for the others, they've settled into one of the bathrooms.

They've both taken more of the Cure W, and painkillers. Munakata's fever has diminished, but he's practically swimming in antipyretics as it is.

"It... I'll look at Sakakura..." She says quietly. "He's... He's the most injured."

"No. I'm fine."

"You are not." Munakata's voice is harsh now.

"Just... Worry about yourself!"

"I'm worried about you!" Munakata says so loudly that even Gozu and Asahina peek in to see what the yelling is about. "You cut off your hand for me! Did... Did you really think I could just let that go?! It's... It's just like..."

"H-Hey... I'm..."

"No, you're not fine! You... You disfigured yourself. For me." And he hasn't earned it. That's what the echo chorus says to him, the one that lives within him. The one that whispers to his guilty conscience. "Why... Why would you do that...? I... I mean, I do know. But..."

"...Munakata."

"Please, just accept her treatment. Please. I... I had to see you... dead. Remember? I saw you... Dead because of the injuries that I caused! Even cutting off your hand the first time was because of me! And you still... You still died for me... Why can't you understand that I don't want to see that happen again?!"

"..."

"And even when you had died for me the first time, you were... smiling..." That part he hasn't really mentioned, that he remembers. Sakakura seems to be impacted by that. "Because... Because you died for my sake, is that it...? Is that why you were smiling...? Because I'd live...? I... I can't go through that again. I hate that you're hurt because of me. I hate that you're hurt because of me, again... Please. Take care of yourself, for once. I..."

"..." Sakakura doesn't look at him, but instead pulls off the jacket, and hangs it on one of the hooks in the bathroom stalls. The Cure W concoction seems to have helped in slowing the bleeding and speeding up healing, but it's still something that really does need to be looked at. "...Kimura. I'll... I'm ready for you."

Kimura isn't really a physician, but once she's able to wash off the blood off of the stump, she can get a clearer picture of the damage.

"You... really do need to go to a hospital. After this..." She says, continuing to run the faucet over it. "This isn't something I can... treat, really..."

There's only so much medicine can do. Especially with something serious like this. There might be nerve damage, or...

"It's fine. Do what you can." 

Munakata takes Sakakura's jacket. He's... doing his best to wash the blood out of the jacket. It's synthetic material, and made for rain so... maybe the blood won't stain it. At least it hasn't gotten on the hood.

"Here." Kimura dries off the stump as best she can, and begins to bandage him. The tourniquet stays on as she works. "Please go to the hospital as soon as possible."

"Yeah, yeah... I got it." How many times is she going to say the same thing?

Once she's done, it's Munakata's turn.

After wringing out the sleeve of Sakakura's jacket, as much as possible, he hands it back to Sakakura. It's still too wet to wear, It would get the bandages wet. Instead, he ties it around his waist as best as he can with one hand.

Sakakura can't find it in himself to look at Munakata's eye until it's rinsed off. The Cure W has healed up some of the grisly mess of having gouged his eye out. It... looks much better now though, clean.

And, just as before, Kimura bandages up his eye. He's... definitely going to need an eyepatch.

"All done."

"...Good." Munakata says quietly. "We should meet up with the others now. We need to talk to them and assess the situation."

"That's true." Gozu nods. The others have come out of the bathroom once Kimura washes her hands. "We need to figure out what's been happening."

"Should we put the power back on?" Sakakura asks. "We asked them to put the message out, but can they do that without the power...?"

"It's not necessary. Gekkogahara had plenty of time to get a message out." Munakata says quickly. "Without the power, there's no reason for the others to resist escape. And... assuming that we didn't get the message out, Mitarai still has his phone."

"But... Gekkogahara must have had enough time." Asahina says gently as they begin to walk.

"Even if not, Tengan got us down here." Gozu says. He seems to have accepted the truth behind it now. "That means there is also a way out."

"Then... We should work together..." Kimura says. "We should... also figure out what we should do about... Tengan and... Gekkogahara."

"It's Tengan I'm worried about." Sakakura mumbles, unused to the swishing sound of his jacket around his waist. "He's the one who disappeared. And Gekkogahara hasn't caught onto us... Probably."

Munakata's hand tightens on his sword.

"Yes. I hope Tengan reappears. There are things I would like to discuss..."

~ ~ ~

...

"Are we all here...?" Naegi asks, looking around once they've all gathered.

"It would appear so." Kirigiri nods.

"Well... All's well that ends well..." Kizakura smiles.

"But... it's not over yet." Asahina sighs. "We're still not done."

Naegi, Kirigiri and Mitarai had met up with them on their way back.

Although she did her best to hide it, Kirigiri seems to have been worried by the letter. Perhaps she believed it was a ruse. Or... maybe it's because she can see that their injuries were not exaggerated.

Sakakura has begun self-consciously hiding his left arm behind his back. The looks of surprise on their faces does nothing but make him feel restless.

Gekkogahara confirms - and Kizakura backs it up - that they had gotten through to Togami and sent a message for assistance. At least they wouldn't have to unbury themselves from the rubble, if that's what was required.

The thirteen of them meet outside of the conference room where Yukizome had died.

Sakakura still feels pangs of guilt from that. And more so... thinking about all of the things Munakata has told him. It feels too much like disrespecting the dead. She'd died for him a few hours ago, or... maybe several hours now. For Munakata, it must have been days, or maybe weeks of time... hours in different timelines.

Grieving, but still pushing forward, and now talking about a possibility of love?

_I'm sorry, Yukizome... I... didn't want to win him by default..._

Those are the thoughts Sakakura thinks to himself when he stares at the door to the conference room.

"At least we don't have to deal with the NG codes." Ando has relaxed considerably without the NG codes. She's been feeding Izayoi macaroons again. "That's a relief."

Kizakura stretches out his left hand, now that it's untaped. He can't help but look at Sakakura, and feel as if he's gloating somehow by doing it.

"I can see again!" Bandai laughs cheerfully. He's handed Munakata his tie. "You saved me, Munakata!"

"...I hope so." Munakata says with a mixture of dread and happiness.

"We just have to make it out of here alive, right?" Kizakura shrugs. "No big deal. We just shut ourselves in until the cavalry arrives, right?"

"Speaking of which..." Munakata looks to Mitarai. "You haven't gotten any weird messages have you?"

"H-Huh? Messages...?"

After an explanation of what he'd meant, that Tengan had sent him a message in the original timeline, and whatever else he could remember from the explanations of Naegi and Kirigiri at the time...

"I..." Mitarai stares blankly.

"Yeah. There is that problem too." Sakakura gives him a mean look. "How about you hand over your phone before you do something I'll make you regret?"

"Hey, come on." Asahina gives him a hard look. "We're supposed to be trusting each other now."

"...If Tengan had recorded a message like that..." Gozu considers it himself. "Then... did he also look at the video that induces Despair...?"

"What do you mean?" Bandai asks.

"...Was... Was Tengan also Despair...?" Gozu asks, and the rest of the room doesn't have an answer.

"I... I guess it's possible." Naegi nods. "The other killing game with the Remnants of Despair... was started by one of them too. It's possible that Tengan was brainwashed by the video..."

Was that it then? Yukizome and Tengan had both been corrupted by Despair? ...And he hadn't seen it?

Munakata glances to Sakakura, the only person he'd actually assumed had been Despair.

"At this point, that doesn't matter." Sakakura's words are forceful. "He put us through hell, Yukizome's dead, I don't give a fuck if he's Hope or Despair, he needs to die."

"W-Well... If he is Despair..." Monomi's voice comes from Gekkogahara. "We could just arrest him, right?"

The mechanical imposter pisses him off.

"O-Or, if he's Despair..." Naegi begins to suggest. "We could put him through the Neo World Program!"

"And what happens if he's not Despair?" Sakakura stares him down, which makes Naegi wither. "What if Tengan's got a fucked up sense of Hope like that creepy kid from the Remnants? What if he's fine pretending he's Despair as long as we brainwash the world into Hope?"

"Maybe that's what his Despair looks like!"

"That doesn't change what he's trying to do, and it doesn't change what he's already done! You can save all the war criminals you want, it doesn't erase what they've done!"

"Everyone." Kirigiri's words are gentle. "We cannot allow ourselves to be divided. That is what we have learned. Best that we not have to relearn it next time."

Sakakura tightens his fist and looks away.

Of course Sakakura would feel this way, Munakata thinks to himself. It wasn't that long ago... And, after everything...

"Kirigiri's right!" The rabbit chimes in. "Love and friendship! Love, love!"

"..." Sakakura's angry scowl turns to her and the rabbit cowers.

"Hey..." Kimura looks to Sakakura. "...Now's not the time to... pick fights."

"And it's also not the place." Gozu has come in closer towards Sakakura, ready to apprehend him just in case.

Gekkogahara's robotic abilities... if they were what he assumed they were, then dealing with her in close quarters was a death sentence.

"So, what do we do?" Ando asks. "Wait?"

"The bangles are not a problem. We can breathe more easily." Izayoi nods.

"We should also find Tengan." Munakata says, at last. "The way things are, it's dangerous to leave him alone."

"His plan's already failed though..." Asahina looks to him. "What else can he do?"

"Escape?" Bandai asks. "He could try to run."

"It would be a bad idea if he got away after all of this..." Kirigiri considers.

"Yeah, but... Mitarai isn't going to use the Hope video on his phone, so what's it matter?"

"He's also super old." Ando crosses her arms. "He could seriously up and die any minute. Who cares if he escapes?"

"He..." Mitarai speaks quietly. "I... I don't have my phone..."

"...Huh?" 

"I can't find it...!"

"Did you leave it in the infirmary...?" Naegi asks, trying to keep the sense of panic from surging through him.

"No, I couldn't find it there either. I thought..." He thought someone had taken it away from him just in case. But they'd been talking like he still had it.

"What the fuck do you mean?! You don't have it?!" Sakakura is kept from moving forward by Gozu.

"...Who could have taken it?" Naegi scans the area.

"It may have been Tengan." Munakata grits his teeth. "He took me from the infirmary... Mitarai was there as well. He took me and Mitarai's phone!"

"Then... even if we get out, Tengan might release the video himself!"

"He'll brainwash the entire world into believing in Hope?" Monomi squeaks. "That... That sounds like Despair!"

"We should go looking for him. In case something has befallen him, we need to know. And if he's still alive, we need to know." Kirigiri nods. "We should split up."

"Split up?" Naegi asks.

"To cover more ground." Kizakura nods understandingly. "But... how many groups?"

"It's too dangerous to make them small." Munakata considers it. "One team of six, one of seven."

"Munakata should lead one team." Kirigiri suggests. "And I'll lead the other."

"I'm going with Munakata." Sakakura says immediately, to the surprise of no one.

The groups end up being...

Kirigiri, Bandai, Naegi, Kizakura, Izayoi, and Kimura.

The other is Munakata, Sakakura, Mitarai, Asahina, Ando, Gekkogahara, and Gozu.

Although Gozu would have gone with Kirigiri's team, he instead decides to stay with Munakata's... given that both Munakata and Sakakura are injured, and Gekkogahara is secretly an imposter.

Ando is nervous to be apart from Izayoi, but Kirigiri's team lacks muscle without him there. They don't have time to argue about it.

They're not planning on separating that far... But there's no way they can investigate individually. There's no telling how much chaos that would be. At least this way, everyone has a fair chance of survival... Or that's Munakata's hope.

Help is on the way.

They just have to stay alive until then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will likely be a bit long; I'm working on it now, but if there's a delay in me getting it done, it's because it's long and will probably involve fighting sequences haha...
> 
> P.S. I was trying for a more Japanese-dub Sakakura throughout this whole fic and suddenly I threw Asahina in there and he reverted back to snarky sarcastic English-dub Sakakura.
> 
> P.P.S. There was a joke that I wanted to make that was Asahina saying she's "a weapon of mass destruction", and I realized my joke wouldn't translate because the joke was going to be one involving "masa" which in Spanish is both "mass" and "dough"... so Sakakura was going to say "she's a weapon of donut dough" or something like that but then I realized I'M WRITING IN ENGLISH
> 
> ...so I changed it to the "Battle of the Bulge". If I ever translate my own fics into Spanish that's the one joke I'm going to be so proud of.


	11. The Remnants of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're in for a long chapter and a showdown. And like... so many cameos. Just. So many.

"Well, it's been hours..." Kizakura looks to Kirigiri. "You want to keep looking, I assume..."

"It's not a matter of wanting or not wanting." She answer simply. "It's what has to be done."

"...So much like your father..." He mutters under his breath and Kirigiri gives him an angry look.

"Scary, scary..."

"I'm... worried about the others..." Kimura says, looking to Izayoi.

"This is necessary." He says simply.

And they weren't far away. They'd actually scared each other quite a bit already, each group running into each other multiple times over the course of their investigation.

"There's a lot of places he could hide..." Bandai is getting discouraged. "A haystack within a haystack..."

That one was almost coherent.

"Still, we can't give up, can we?" Naegi looks to them. "We can't, right?"

"No one's giving up." Izayoi says simply.

"It's... just a lot to do..." Kimura says, quietly. "But we're not giving up."

"What a hopeful bunch." Kizakura smirks.

"You did manage to get a message requesting aid out, yes?" Kirigiri looks to him for confirmation.

"Yup... Of course, it was Togami that answered." Kizakura shrugs. "Sour as always, but he deigned to send in support."

"Good. Then we'll bring this to a definitive end."

"What's going to happen to Tengan...?" Naegi asks.

"Assuming we can take him alive? He'll probably be tried for treason." Kizakura is still smiling. "That's assuming he comes quietly, which he won't."

"But..."

"It isn't like the Remnants of Despair." Izayoi continues without looking at Naegi. "There's a chance he knew what he was doing. Just like you did."

"..."

"But... Munakata probably won't have you executed..." Kimura says supportively. Probably.

"No, Munakata's goal was to get us all out alive." Kirigiri is smiling. "Tengan aside, he wants us to live."

"Then... he might keep Tengan alive, too."

"Everyone deserves a trial." Bandai says solemnly. "Even the worst of the worst."

"Except that there's no way he'd win it..." Kizakura chuckles. He'd been responsible for Yukizome's death, and attempted to kill all of them just by having them here. "There's no way Munakata will let what he did go."

"But it doesn't have to be death..."

"He can't be allowed free. At best, he'll get life imprisonment. But..." Kizakura takes a long deep breath. "I don't know how merciful Munakata will be... Sure, he's changed a lot lately but... between Yukizome, Sakakura's hand... and knowing how it all went the first time..."

. . .

Sakakura and Munakata share furtive glances looking back to Gekkogahara periodically, and to the others. Everyone has unconsciously begun to distance themselves from her, minus Mitarai and Ando. And Gozu looks more on edge than normal.

Perhaps that was why he still wore the mask. It would be difficult to hide his own emotions at this point.

"Hey..." Asahina beaks the tense silence. "...So..."

"What is it?" Sakakura says back to her, tersely.

"Well... Are you two... okay?"

"Huh?" Sakakura has started wearing his jacket again normally. It's been hours so it's dried. There's still some bloodstains here and there, but no one has to look at his lack of a hand. "...I'm fine."

"Everything will be alright." Munakata answers vaguely. He's got better depth perception than anyone would expect, but how long had he had one eye before...?

"Is anyone hungry?" Ando offers. She's tense as anyone can tell.

"Ooh! Me, me! I am!"

And now Asahina is chowing down on macaroons.

Sakakura's stomach growls rebelliously but he covers it with a cough. Munakata caught it however, and gives him the faintest glimmer of a smirk.

...

There's the sound of movement coming from somewhere.

"What was that?" Ando looks around nervously.

"...It's possible they're excavating us out of here." Munakata says simply. Although he wasn't exactly sure how far below the surface they were, there was help coming.

"Finally. Cavalry..."

"Then, we should hurry and wrap up loose ends." Gozu says cryptically.

"Not just yet." Munakata says quickly. "Tengan is the highest priority."

"You sure...?" Sakakura asks. It's not like he wants to face Gekkogahara's sudden but inevitable betrayal but... She is a dangerous foe to have this close to them now.

"An opportunity will present itself. For now, let's follow the noise. Tengan is sure to want to escape as quickly as possible."

. . . 

What's most surprising is that when they arrive at a circular room, they see Tengan there, waiting for them.

It's a tense moment of realization.

"Asahina." Munakata says to her without looking. "Find the others. Now."

"B-But...!"

"You're the fastest runner right now. Tell them to go to the exit. Now." And block him off.

Asahina is frozen for a moment as the order sinks in and then...

"...Stay safe." She says before sprinting off down a different hall.

"Tengan." Gozu steps forward first.

"Ah, Gozu. You're safe after all." He smiles warmly.

"Tengan, please. Tell me the truth. What is it you're trying to do...?"

"Spread Hope." He smiles still. And produces Mitarai's phone. "Will you assist me in this endeavor...?"

"...You're talking about taking away free will. What kind of Hope is there in that...?" This man is not the Tengan he knew. Or... Or is it? Did he ever really know him? "Tell me you aren't Despair!"

"..."

"Let's just fucking end this." Sakakura steps forward.

"Munakata, is it true you've seen how this all goes...?" Tengan asks, genuinely asking.

"..." Munakata doesn't answer. Does this mean Tengan knows he knows about the other timelines? Or...

"What are we waiting for?" Ando says ducking behind Gekkogahara. "Just kill him and let's be done with it!"

"You learned of my plan somehow. I have a hard time believing that she told you."

"She?"

His eyes settle on Gekkogahara.

"The one who plays possum."

"Ha-wa-wah?" Monomi's incredulous voice pipes up. "Possum? I'm a rabbit!"

Sakakura steps back to pull Ando away from Gekkogahara, maybe too roughly. Mitarai is near Gozu.

"Get off!"

"Would you relax? Just... stay out of the way." He sneers at her and she does the same back. 

She huffs and pulls her arm out of his grasp.

"Everyone, stay back!" Monomi's voice is loud and shrill as she rolls herself forward. Everyone gives her a wide berth when rockets extend from her wheelchair. "I will protect my precious friends!"

"What the hell?!" Ando ducks behind Sakakura.

Rockets open fire and Gekkogahara's wheelchair zooms forward to engage.

Munakata has the others stay back for now.

The enemy of their enemy...

Tengan is quicker than he looks, and can easily avoid rocket blasts. They hit the wall, spraying dust and debris everywhere. Water slowly leaks in from the outside.

Although it seems like Gekkogahara may have a handle on the situation, Tengan delivers a crushing blow that knocks the wheelchair over.

Mitarai cowers behind Gozu.

Munakata readies his sword, just in case.

"Isn't it about time you were done lying...?" Tengan looks down at Gekkogahara. "Wandering around on your own, immune to the sleeping drug, and poison... Did you really think you were fooling anyone?"

"...Shit." Sakakura clenches his teeth. This is about to become complicated.

"They're not rushing to your defense. They must know you're nothing but someone's remote control toy. How long do you intend to keep up this foolishness...? Munakata's probably known about you the whole time. You're not as smart as you think."

The robotic head snaps towards Munakata unnaturally. Ando and Mitarai jolt, but... no one else does. It's like a scene from a horror movie. A body twisting at unnatural angles before righting itself.

"..."

"You see, they're not even surprised. But even you must have suspected they knew."

"..."

The enemy of their enemy... was still an enemy.

 _"Ah, man! Junko would be so disappointed..."_ There's a pouting voice that spills out as the robot morphs before their eyes into some kind of android figure. _"Oh well! Enough with the sneaky sneaky! Time for the stabby shooty!"_

"Is fighting against me really what you want...?" Tengan asks with a knowing smile.

_"Duh? Of course!"_

"Then you fight for the forces of Despair. You'll dispatch me, and then fight off the Future Foundation? They won't let you leave here like this. Isn't it better to kill them off? They will find you."

 _"Old farts like you sure like to talk a lot~"_ For a moment she seems like she'll attack Tengan again but... _"Honestly, I've had to hear so much about Hope and Despair I'm just... so fucking bored with it, you know... You want to spread Hope, they want to defeat Despair... Either way, it looks like Hope is gonna win. What a boring ending..."_

"Sakakura. Get ready." Munakata whispers.

"Yeah, got it."

_"Well, I don't really like being kept in the dark so... Maybe I'll just rack up the best body count I can and go for a high score!"_

"...Then, I'll leave you to it." Tengan smiles and begins to walk away.

_"Just so you know, old timer, you're next on my list~"_

"Hahaha... To be young and full of dreams again..."

"Don't you dare!" Munakata snarls. "We're not done, Tengan!"

As he's about to move for Tengan, a rocket blasts a few feet from him, forcing him to cover his face. Dust and debris cloud the area, and he's gone again.

 _"Hey, hey... You know you've gotta beat the miniboss before you beat up the big bad! Being treated like a small fry... Well, I guess this is a fun new feeling too!"_ She giggles and opens fire on them.

A spray of bullets comes at them, and they all manage to dodge, except for Ando who takes a bullet to the arm before Sakakura can drag her out of the spray.

"Stay here." Sakakura says seriously as he keeps her hidden behind an alcove at the side. She nods, numbly, eyes welled up with tears from being shot.

When it seems like they're all pinned down by rocket fire and bullets...

Something... truly unusual happens.

. . .

Someone brunette all but flies through the air with a kick that sends the robot into a cartwheel before crashing to the ground. She stands up triumphantly and cracks her knuckles.

"Alright!" She yells loudly.

Behind her, others appear.

A burly man with some facial hair that makes him look like a cat, a woman with a sword and long silver hair tied in braids, a stout young-looking man in a chef's jacket, and a frantic-looking young woman with bandages up one arm who looks like she's on the verge of tears.

"...!"

Munakata knows they're harmless, but Sakakura can only see the Remnants of Despair.

The muscular brunette - Owari Akane - steps forward smiling triumphantly.

"You must be the Future Foundation!" She says approaching Munakata quickly with a gleeful smile. "Looks like we're even now, right?"

"Uh..." Munakata is lost by that logic. Does she mean she owes them for the Neo World Program...? Because that wasn't strictly his doing but...

"Step back, Despair." 

Sakakura emerges from where he'd been to stand in front of Munakata. One hand down, he still won't allow any of them to come near him.

Owari gives him a puzzled look.

"Huh? Despair? Well... I mean..." She gives him a complicated but ultimately guilty look. "You're not wrong, but... You're not right either, ya know? We're here to help."

"It's true." The swordswoman - Pekoyama Peko - approaches quietly. "We apologize for the intrusion but... our intention was to help."

"Thank you. You were expected." Munakata says nodding.

"...Expected?" Pekoyama doesn't understand but there's no time to explain things to her.

"Ah, yeah, by the way sorry for attacking your guys. They were kind of in the way." Owari laughs.

"I said stay back." Sakakura readies his boxer's pose, but he's forced to realize it looks rather sad without the left hand there. "...Not a step closer."

"Sakakura, they're not our enemies."

"Like hell they're not!"

"I told you before. The Remnants of Despair wake up, cured from Despair, and come to our aid."

"You..." Sakakura looks back to them carefully. Neither Pekoyama nor Owari have moved to attack positions. "You did say that but..."

"U-Uhh... E-Excuse me..." The shy girl with bandages - Tsumiki Mikan - speaks uncertainly. "A-Are there injuries...? I could... I could assist... Waaaah! Your... Your eye! A-And... your hand...!"

She's gotten a good look at Munakata and Sakakura now. Sakakura is nervous to let her proceed, but... Munakata has been right about everything else.

But how long was Yukizome Despair and they didn't realize...? 

"Forget us for now." Sakakura says, giving Munakata a decidedly angry look.

"Yes, see to Ando." Munakata points back towards where Ando, who has been peeking out nervously, is. She nearly jolts when Munakata points at her. "She was injured in the last exchange."

"Right!" Tsumiki suddenly becomes much more confident as she trots over to Ando, but Gozu is there to block her way. "I... I... Uhh..."

"Gozu, it's alright." Munakata says. "But, keep guard of Ando if you're still worried..."

"...Alright." He steps aside, and looks down to Tsumiki. He must be a scary sight. "Apologies."

"W-Wait, don't let her touch me...!" Ando says as Tsumiki and Gozu come closer.

"Munakata vouches for her. Do you trust him?"

Gozu's words strike a chord in her. After all of this... It isn't that she implicitly trusts Munakata, but... He hasn't steered her wrong yet. And she does owe him at least the benefit of the doubt.

"...Fine."

As Tsumiki begins trying to help Ando, the diminutive chef - Hanamura Teruteru - comes in.

"Oh my... What a beautiful cupcake. She looks delicious..." He leers at Ando from afar. His attention then turns squarely to Gozu and then Sakakura. "...And some prime beefcakes too..."

"..." Sakakura cringes.

"There's no time for this." Munakata says coldly.

"Well... That's a chilly reception, but... You're well within my strike zone... Give me one night and I'll have you warmed up and-" A bamboo sword menacingly taps him on the shoulder. "B-B-Beyonce...!!"

"If you have time to flirt, you have time to assist."

"That's right!" Owari laughs. "I'm getting kind of hungry again!"

"You... I just fed you!"

"...Yeah, but I'm hungry again. I've got a wicked fast metabolism!" She laughs.

"Hold your meal plans, we haven't finished!" The burly man - Nidai Nekomaru - has been watching the robot struggle to its feet. "Never leave a job half done!"

_"How dare you treat me like a small fry...! Overlooking me... It's a feeling I know all too well... But... That doesn't mean I can let that go unpunished~"_

"Eh? And... why shouldn't you be overlooked...?" An eerie voice echoes through the room as it approaches. Two more sets of footsteps. "...Someone like you... who only spouts Despair... isn't worthy of standing before all of these brilliant Super High School Levels..."

"Sorry we're late we met up with the-" A pink-haired man - Soda Kazuichi - is now staring with heart eyes at the robot. "Oh my God, is that a fully functioning android?! I... I can't belive it... Can I touch it? I wanna touch it...!"

 _"You..."_ The voice menaces from the robot turning towards the man who spoke before. It's Komaeda Nagito, with a robotic arm. _"What are you doing here..."_

"Ah, I recognize that voice..." He smiles cordially as he approaches. "Long time no see. Have you been causing trouble for the heroes? You know I can't overlook that... Just kidding."

"Just kidding?!" Soda glares at him. "What are you talking about? You better not be switching sides now!"

"Of course not... This girl is... Well, she's the kind of person even I despise. All she cares about is Despair for the sake of Despair..."

_"Always going on and on about Hope and Despair... You're the reason I'm bored with it all!"_

"Oh? You got bored of Enoshima and her Despair...? Then... You're just doing this for your own fun? Well..." Komaeda walks closer, placid face now turned into apathetic hatred. "Neither Hope nor Despair... Nihilistic... So uncool. So not cute. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd find someone even more worthless than me! This is wonderful hahaha...!"

"This guy..." Soda grumbles as he moves over to Pekoyama and Owari. "Sorry, we got hung up dealing with the other group. That guy just spilled his guts trying to talk to that Naegi kid."

"Naegi? You met up with that group?" Munakata steps forward quickly, ignoring Sakakura's defensive stance. "They know of the situation?"

"W-Well... I think so... There was this girl that kept talking about a Chairman and... Hold on who are you?!" Soda points at him accusingly and Sakakura is there gripping his arm tightly. "O-Owwww... L-Let go!"

"One more step and I break you."

"Please." Pekoyama moves forward and pulls Soda's arm free from Sakakura. "We haven't come to fight."

"I know you." Sakakura looks to her in anger. "You're that little pygmy's lackey."

"..."

"Hey, wait a minute..." Owari comes very close to Sakakura and begins to sniff him. "Yeah, I know you! You smell like someone who kicked my ass!"

"Yeah, and I'll do it again if you don't back off."

"Oh...!" She laughs. She's almost glowing with energy. "Oh, this'll be fun... A rematch...!"

"Now's not the time for thaaaaaaaaat!" Nidai is loudly bellowing at them.

 _"I won't accept being looked down on by someone as gross and stupid as you!"_ The voice controlling the robot begins to open fire on Komaeda. But the bullets go all off target defying normal laws of gravity, missing completely.

Rockets are set to launch but when they're expended, they all go forward and then land around Komaeda's feet. All duds.

"...Sorry." He smiles moving forward. "It's not much of a talent, especially not compared to all of the other brilliant Super High School Levels, but... I've always been able to count on my Luck!"

"Owari!" Nidai orders. "Pekoyama!"

"Got it!"

Owari and Nidai rush forward, perfectly in sync. Nidai rushes ahead and grips the robotic right arm. Owari latches onto the left arm with her whole body like a monkey.

Pekoyama runs forward with her sword, and so does Munakata. Before Sakakura can process it, the two swordsmen have slashed off Gekkogahara's robotic arms.

Munakata takes the final swing, the sword in hand heating up, cutting down the middle like butter.

_"Wha-?! This is... so fucking laaaaaaaame...!"_

The voice cuts out.

. . .

The Mechanic is having too much fun digging around through Gekkogahara's spare parts as they make sure she's truly deactivated.

"Is it okay to dilly dally like this?" Sakakura looks to Munakata. "What if-"

"We'll hurry after Naegi's group as soon as we're sure we don't have an enemy at our backs."

The Remnant of Despair known as Komaeda rudely barges up to Munakata holding onto his hands with a starry expression.

"You must be the other symbol of Hope! The leader of the Future Foundation...!"

"I..." Munakata is unsure how to process this show of... admiration? "I am now. Yes."

"Because of your efforts, you've-"

"Hands off." Sakakura grabs Komaeda by the left hand, but even he is surprised to see the robotic arm. "What the..."

"Do you like it?" He smiles that creepy smile. "My friend with the questionable hair did it!"

"Who has questionable hair?! Have you looked in a mirror?!"

"I-I really should look at you two now..." Tsumiki has come over after attending to Ando. Her arm is freshly bandaged. Gozu is by her side. "P-Please, allow me...?"

"...There isn't time now." Munakata says quietly. "When this is concluded."

"B-But..." She's staring at Sakakura in particular. "Y-Your hand..."

"Oh my..." Komaeda smiles, now looking at Sakakura with an even wider, creepier look. "We're so alike! Except that I'm just worthless trash and you're... Oh, but maybe Soda could make you a hand too?"

"..." Sakakura doesn't really like the idea of being compared to Komaeda of all people, but... A new hand...? "I... Maybe."

"And if you ever need help..." Hanamura is there creeping everyone out. "I know it could be difficult with only one hand to attend to your... primal urges so... If you'd like an extra-"

"One more word and you will be dispatched." Pekoyama glares at him warningly.

"We should hurry on ahead." Gozu says. "Tengan has a considerable lead."

"But they did meet up with Kirigiri's group, so..." Ando looks at them all. "I... I mean, we could leave it to them."

"Unacceptable!" Nidai shouts and Ando practically ducks behind Gozu again. "Never run away from a fight! Give it all you've got until the end!"

"I know that!" She shouts back. "But..."

"Izayoi will be in their group. Aren't you worried about him?" Gozu watches her.

"Of course I am!"

"..." Owari looks over to see Mitarai, unmoving. "Hey, you comin' or what?"

"I..." Mitarai watches them uncertainly. "...Maybe I should stay here. Where I can't do any more harm..."

"Huh? You givin' up?" Owari marches over to him and practically drags him along.

"S-Stop it! I've caused so much trouble for everyone already shouldn't I-"

"Just shut up! You gotta keep goin' forward!" Owari yells at him. "If you messed shit up, you fix it! Or are you the type who can leave things half-assed?!"

"I..."

"All of us have made mistakes." Pekoyama notes, as Soda returns to everyone's side. Gekkogahara is fully inert. "...We can't change that. But we can move forward, and try to make up for our mistakes. That is the price a survivor must pay."

Sakakura scoffs and begins to pull Munakata ahead.

"Then quit wasting time and let's go. The kid can decide if he wants to be a coward or not. I don't give a fuck."

"Sakakura..." Munakata looks at him, disapprovingly.

"And you." Sakakura shoots him a dirty look. "You ran out into danger again. What the fuck were you thinking? I'm trying to keep you safe, don't just do things on your own when you're injured."

Has Sakakura always been this overprotective?

"I may have to scare you more by the end of today. But... You have my apologies."

"I'm... I'm doing it again, right?" He grumbles. "I didn't... I just don't want you to die. Especially... not after we made it this far."

"I understand."

"Alright! Double time it to the exit!" Nidai shouts as they begin to move. At first Owari is pulling Mitarai along, but he seems to fall into line.

"D-Double time...?! But...!" Tsumiki and Ando are obviously going to fall behind that pace.

"Where's your fighting spirit?!"

"I-I don't have such a thing...!"

"This is wonderful! Everyone's united for a future full of Hope! I'm so happy...!"

"Shut up, no one wants to hear that kind of shit from you!" Soda snaps at him.

~ ~ ~

A bit before this at a different area...

Kirigiri's group has been warned by Asahina and they continue to move forward.

"Do you know where Tengan's going to go...?!" She asks, out of breath as they run.

"The exit." Kirigiri says.

Wherever that is.

"..."

"Ando will be fine!" Bandai chirps cheerfully at Izayoi. "She's strong like a fruitcake!"

"...?"

"But... Tengan..." Kimura is unsure of their odds. "Can we defeat someone... like that...?"

"We don't have a choice." Naegi says. "We can't let him get away, regardless of his fate... right?"

"True." Kizakura's tone is as if running is too much of a bother for him. "But the real problem is if he uses his video on anyone."

...

After what seems like an eternity of running, they can hear the sounds of violence coming from ahead.

"Which way did they do?!" Someone is yelling.

"I don't know... Maybe I'll get lucky and we'll pick the right way!"

"Don't trust in your Luck so blindly!"

The group of them turn and spot Komaeda and Soda. 

"Oh, look! Friends!"

"Waaah! Those aren't friends! That's the Future Foundation!" Soda hides behind Komaeda.

Kimura and Izayoi assume attack positions but it's Naegi and Kirigiri who come closer first. Bandai and Asahina look on nervously.

"Do you remember us?" Kirigiri smiles calmly to Soda.

"Wait... You were... It's you!"

"See, friends!" Komaeda laughs. "How can we help you, fellow symbols of Hope?"

"...The Remnants of Despair." Kimura seethes.

"Y-Yeah but they were cured." Naegi smiles weakly.

"Have you seen an old man come by this way?" Kirigiri asks, ignoring the tension.

"...Hm... Can't say that we have. We were part of the entry crew, but the others outside might have seen something." Komaeda answers with smiles. "Just follow that way."

He points.

"And.." Soda peeks out from behind Komaeda's shoulder. "Your guys attacked us so we had to fight back. It was all self-defense! We're not Despair anymore, okay?!"

"..." Kirigiri looks back at them. "Let's go, Naegi."

Kizakura goes first, and then Bandai. Seeing the others accept this, Izayoi rushes ahead, and so does Kimura.

"Wait... Naegi?" Komaeda approaches him close and grips both of his hands. "You're the Super High School Level Hope who defeated Enoshima Junko! Ohhhh....! I'm so Lucky... so blessed to have-"

"Shut up and let's go!" Soda is pulling him along. "We're already falling behind, do you want to get yelled at?!"

"But he's... he's so..."

"Yeah, yeah, your man-crush can wait!"

~ ~ ~

Tengan, who has been sneaking around, finally makes it to the entrance. As expected, someone has broken through.

There are soldiers there... Someone must have contacted them. But how much do they know...?

The soldiers salute when he approaches. There are some who are unconscious or leaning against the wall. Someone must have attacked.

"Mr. Chairman! Sir! You're alright."

"Yes." He answers quietly. "What is the situation?"

"The... The Remnants of Despair have breached the grounds!"

"Oh, my." He is surprised but... "Then it was them who orchestrated this whole ordeal..."

"It seems likely, sir. Our men are engaged with theirs, but a group of them broke inside."

"That's alright. Do not pursue."

"Sir?"

"Stand here and keep watch, won't you?"

"But sir..."

Tengan smiles and produces the cellphone he'd taken from Mitarai. The plan might be a waste for the most part, but at least there's this. He's still got a trump card.

Still smiling, he flashes the program for the Hope video. The soldier stares blankly. He does the same for the other soldiers.

"...Now, do me a favor and make sure no one goes in or out, alright?"

They mindlessly salute.

~ ~ ~

"Whose bright idea was it to take all the strong people into the place with no soldiers to fight?!" Saionji Hiyoko, is livid as they duck behind debris. "Whoever's plan that was, I'm gonna bop them good!"

"Is everyone ready to rock~?" Mioda Ibuki laughs as soldiers come closer.

"Just do it!" Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko shouts at her.

"I can't hear you~"

"Just do it, you punk rocker dipshit!" Saionji shouts it louder.

"Ooooookay!" She laughs manically. "Here for a one time only private concert I present to you - 'I Can't Believe It's Not Despair, Like WTF Is Happening?!' ...title still in progress!"

They cover their ears as Mioda's guitar echoes loud discordant notes that make the soldiers double over. Frenzied singing accompanies the shrill notes.

"..."

"Thank you! Good night!" As she laughs, a large rotund figure comes out from hiding with a photographer. "Hey, hey! Did Ibuki do good?"

"...You did passable, I suppose." A fat version of Togami arrogantly strides past her.

"Come on." Koziumi Mahiru says quickly. "Hinata needs us too, right?"

"But what am I supposed to do?! Dance at them...?!"

"...Come on..." She smiles and helps Saionji stand. "They're waiting for us."

"Another touching moment! Ibuki is so jealous!"

"...Let's just go." Kuzuryu ignores her and marches off ahead. "She really won't forgive me if I don't do my part."

...

"They're shooting at us!" Asahina has dodged a storm of bullets. "Why are they shooting?!"

Izayoi readies his blades, awaiting the time when they reload.

"..." Kirigiri is breathing heavily. Somehow being shot at had not been something she expected.

"Hey, hey..." Kizakura squeezes her hand encouragingly. "Remember to breathe, right?"

"..." Her expression is imperceptible. "...Of course."

The sounds of groaning and people dropping fills the entrance.

"Um... It's safe now." A voice calls out.

Naegi is the first one to peer out. And then, the others.

Hinata Hajime, one eye red and differently colored compared to the other.

"...Hinata!" Naegi smiles.

"Hey. Long time no see... Or..." Hinata pauses. "That's... Well, we're here to help."

"Right on time." Kirigiri smiles. It looks like Munakata's predictions were correct.

As they all come around from the exit, avoiding the downed soldiers...

"You guys~!" A jovial voice screams out before immediately latching onto Asahina. "Oh my God, you guys are okay! I was so worried...!"

"Get off!" Asahina shoves Hagakure off of her and he falls backwards.

"I... I was worried about you!"

"...Oh, yeah. You were in this weren't you..." Asahina pauses. Was that right?

"That's so mean! I thought you guys were in trouble!"

"We were. But..." Naegi smiles. "We don't have time to talk about it. Have you seen Tengan?"

"Huh...? The Chairman...? Uhh..."

And after a few minutes of checking in with each other...

"There you are!" Asahina calls back waving to Munakata's group as they come.

"Sorry. We were... delayed." Munakata says apologetically.

"There was this amazing robo-girl and-" Soda begins to explode with glee again.

"Oh, that." Kirigiri nods. "Then that's taken care of."

"Hey! Don't step on my lines!"

"Yoi~!" Ando practically launches herself into Izayoi's arms. "I was so scared...!"

"...You're hurt."

"It was so scary!"

Kimura approaches them.

"Here..." Kimura holds out a vial of Cure W. "...This... will help."

There's an uncomfortable silence between them.

"...I don't want it." Ando turns away like a child.

"But... you're hurt..."

"...Go ahead and take it." Izayoi says giving Ando a little push forward.

"..." Ando stares at her, untrustingly... before she takes it. "Thanks."

"Hey, Hinata!" Owari laughs and puts Hinata in a headlock. "Where have you been, ya scamp?"

"This isn't how you two interact at all!" Soda points at them.

"Enough pleasantries." Munakata says quickly. "We need to stop Tengan."

"..." Sakakura looks around. "He'd need somewhere to broadcast a signal."

"The tower."

. . .

"Halt!" An imperious voice calls out to Tengan. "The forces of Hope will not allow your passage!"

"Foul demon who lurks in Light..." A gruff voice comes from the same direction. "Your treachery has been written of in the Book of the Dead!"

"...My..." He smiles. Sonia Nevermind and Tanaka Gundam. "...Such willful youth. Won't you let me by?"

"Not until our leader tells us!" She calls out looking to Tanaka.

They were tasked with guarding the other tower while everyone else hurried to the facility.

"Your leader..."

"Our leader is the one who plunged himself into the depths of chaos to resurrect the Demonic Emissary you see before you!" Tanaka begins to laugh loudly.

"..."

"You may not pass!"

"I'm afraid I really must get by... If you won't oblige me then..."

"This ominous wind... This aura of hate that billows off of you... Have you been touched by the Veil of Darkness or were you simply lurking by its borders?!"

"Please, there is no reason to engage in combat." Sonia says diplomatically. "Simply desist until our leader has come to grant permission!"

"I apologize, young lady..."

"It is quite alright, Good Sir!"

"...I apologize, because it seems you were misinformed."

"...Excuse me?"

"I am the Chairman of the Future Foundation." He looks to them dangerously. "The one who grants permission here would be myself. And it makes you two trespassers."

"...Sonia, stand back. This man has walked too long in the Valley of Shadows. His heart is truly tainted by maliciousness."

"But..." She gives him a seirous look. "I don't want to back away this time. If it is by your side, I will fight too!"

"...Princess." Tanaka is blushing. "...Your safety must come first."

"Overruled!"

"...You leave me no choice." Tengan says stepping forward.

"Tengan!" It's Munakata's voice that calls out along with everyone else.

It feels like an eternity since he's seen the outside. How long has it been...?

"...Munakata."

"This has gone on long enough." He says, holding his sword. "Please, don't make me kill you."

"Weren't you the one who said you would eliminate Despair...?" He smiles and turns to him. "Or have your goals changed?"

"..."

"Back down, old man." Sakakura steps forward. "You're under arrest. Unless you'd like to be executed here and now... I'm fine with that."

"Munakata's loyal dog. You'll follow him anywhere."

"Yeah, that's right. And you and I have a score to settle."

"...All I'm trying to do is spread Hope. Isn't that what you want, Munakata?"

"I want you to give yourself up before this becomes messy."

"Why did you join the Future Foundation in the first place...?" He asks with a kind smile. "Wasn't it Yukizome who encouraged such a thing...?"

"You better not speak her name again." Sakakura glares angrily. "You killed her."

"My boy, she was already dead."

"What?!"

"...Yukizome encouraged you to join the Future Foundation. Your dream of being Headmaster had gone up in flames. She set you on this path. And for what purpose...?"

"What are you trying to say?" Munakata doesn't like where this is going.

"...The Future Foundation was impure right from the outset. Yukizome encouraged you to do your best and save the world... just so you could watch it all come crashing down around you. She wanted you to fall into Despair along with the rest of the world. To build you up, to knock you down."

"..."

"Don't listen to him." Sakakura looks to Munakata. "Doesn't change what's happening now."

"No, it doesn't. But. Yukizome is dead. Her influence can no longer affect you. But... What is it you want to do now? What is your future like... Munakata?" He smiles. "Have you seen that far in advance?"

"Tengan. That's quite enough." Gozu steps forward. "What... What did you do all of this for?"

"Gozu. You're still alive after all of that." A kindly smile.

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" Ando shouts angrily. "You locked us up to kill us off, and then you put Mecha-gahara in our way! And you think that brings Hope?!"

"...Doesn't it?" He smiles. "Despair from Hope. There is no better way."

"You... You've been using me..." Mitarai says, shakily. "You... You wanted me to... to..."

"Wasn't this your big chance to right the wrongs of your past? Who else, so mired in Despair, would bring about greater Hope?"

"...That's..."

"You would have killed everyone." Naegi says with a serious look. "At any point, Mitarai could have been killed along with anyone else. How would that have helped anyone?!"

"...Don't bother." Sakakura bares his teeth. "He's clearly Despair. His motives, his reasoning behind all of this... It's not going to make sense. He's fucking crazy."

"I want to save this world. The same as you all." Tengan looks to Mitarai. "But if being Despair is what brings you all together, then I will assume that role."

"You sound like the creepy kid. You even know what you're saying?" Sakakura snarls. "How many times have you watched the Despair video?"

"What would surprise you more? To think I really am Despair? Or to think I am not, and put all of this together with a sound mind."

"Sound mind? You sat your ass down somewhere and put together this shitshow, from a fake arena, to suicide videos, to poison, bangles, NG codes... You put it all together! No one sane does that! No one sane does what you did!"

"But was it for Hope, or Despair...? I wonder."

"...Give us the phone." Munakata moves forward again. "And place yourself into protective custody. Or I cannot guarantee your safety."

"Do what he says." Kirigiri looks at him coldly. "This need not be bloodier than it already has been."

Hinata gives Tanaka and Sonia a look as everyone is speaking. They nod.

"You should be thanking me, Munakata."

"And why is that?" He stares him down with his remaining eye.

"Yukizome shouldn't have been allowed to live. Ever since she was tainted by Despair... she was already dead. You should be thankful this scheme put an end to her before she caused you real Despair."

Anger floods his senses. But...

But Sakakura moves first, charging ahead like a hurricane. Tengan doesn't move. And when he gets close enough to swing... The flash from the phone nearly blinds him and everything goes hazy.

...

~ ~ ~

Hope's Peak Academy - a bustling campus that towers above the rest of the sprawling urban area - ...a sanctuary of Hope.

It's said when you graduate from Hope's Peak Academy, you're going to succeed in life no matter what. Your talents are nurtured, and you become a beacon of Hope in a world of Despair.

And...

"Are you alright with this, Juzo?" Munakata smiles at him, holding his hands. He's calling him Juzo so openly, he can only smile back. "Would you really be alright taking the position as Head of Security for me...?"

"Of course. You're going to be Headmaster, right? You need a strong right hand."

"But you're the World Heavyweight Champion. You could have any career you want. You could be a pro."

"...Kyosuke, my dream is..." He sighs. It's so embarrassing to say out loud. "I want to see the world you create. I want... to be by your side and see you do it. You're the only one who can do it."

"Juzo, think of yourself for once. This is your life too."

"My life without you there isn't worth a damn."

"...That's the kind of personality I just can't accept." Munakata stares hard at him. "If it takes the rest of my life, I'm going to make you as happy as possible. That's what you deserve."

"Aw, you two are cute. Smile~"

The flash of a camera with the two of them only just realizing they've had their picture taken, holding hands, with the cherry blossoms flowering in the background.

"Yukizome, cut it out!"

"What? It's graduation day." She smiles taking more candid shots. "I love seeing my two best friends in love."

"..." Sakakura blushes and looks down. "Don't say it like that."

"Aw, big man." She laughs and jokingly punches him in the arm. "It's obvious how you feel. Even someone as dense as Munakata saw it eventually."

"...Sorry, for taking so long." Munakata smiles, also blushing. He hasn't let go of Sakakura's hands. "But if I am your Hope, I'll take it seriously."

"...Kyosuke."

Another camera flash.

"Ooh. Good one."

"Damn, would you cut it out!" He glares at her.

"What? It's beautiful!"

"..." Sakakura looks to her. "Anyway... I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"...For... taking him away from you. I know you..."

"Oh, stop it. You won him fair and square." She smiles and takes his picture. "But if you want to make it up to me, you'll invite me to the wedding!"

"Geez, there's no... We haven't..." Sakakura is flustered.

"We haven't thought that far ahead. Unfortunately." Munakata smiles.

"...Then, just buy me a huge cake." Yukizome laughs. "I mean... It's not like I'm not going to be a homeroom teacher here, right?"

"I guess that's true."

"So this isn't goodbye!" She smiles and holds onto their hands. "No matter what, it's always going to be the three of us!"

"Yes. The three of us." Munakata smiles.

"It's a promise." Sakakura nods.

"And..." Munakata smiles to him. "If any of us fall to Despair... It's our solemn duty to kill that person."

Although the air feels colder and everything becomes stark and bleak when he says it, the smiling continues.

"Yup! I'll kill either of you if you become Despair." Yukizome laughs. "It's what you should do."

"That's right. Put down a mad dog." Munakata nods. "No matter what. Even if it's me, Juzo. I want you to kill me if I become Despair. Promise me."

"Me too!" Yukizome laughs. "If I ever become Despair, you'll kill me without remorse. That's... That's what Hope looks like!"

"Then..." Sakakura's mind screams but... but... "Yeah. I'll... I'll kill either of you. If you become Despair... then... you're dead to me... No mercy."

"No mercy!" Yukizome laughs again.

~ ~ ~

"No mercy." Sakakura doesn't even register the punch he's thrown at Munakata. "No mercy..."

"Sakakura!" Munakata dodges. "Snap out of it!"

"Hope must vanquish Despair..." Tengan smiles and nods.

Sakakura's next punch definitely connects and sends the whole world spinning.

Gozu rushes forward with Kimura and even Ando looks concerned as she runs forward to try and catch Munakata, who falls on her.

The final group of the Remnants is coming in.

"Everyone!" Hinata looks to them.

"We're here to help!" Kuzuryu says and Pekoyama turns and smiles in spite of the situation.

And while all eyes are on them...

"Come now and fulfill your dark pact as was prophesized!" Tanaka says loudly. "Let the Bells of Chaos ring out!"

Tengan turns around but he hasn't noticed the hamsters crawling up his legs until they bite his hand, forcing him to drop the phone. A rather fat hamster takes the phone and begins to drag it away until the four hamsters are all carrying it away towards the group.

"No!"

Tengan runs forward and dives for the phone. He misses and the hamsters scatter as the phone clatters to the ground and slides. There's a mad dash for it as Tengan rushes at it again.

"You there! Defend it with your life!" Sonia shouts at Soda who immediately snaps to attention and tackles Tengan boldly.

Unsurprisingly, it doesn't take long for Tengan to toss Soda aside.

. . . 

"You... You have to stop... This isn't you...!" Kimura says dodging a punch from Sakakura. It's easier when he's got one hand to punch with.

Asahina runs in from behind and practically leaps onto his back, climbing up him and starting to put him in a headlock.

"Cut it out or you get the jawbreaker for real!"

"Come on, boss man..." Kizakura is trying to get Munakata's eyes to focus. "You gotta wake up now. No beauty rest for you..."

"Sakakura!" Naegi steps forward boldly, Sakakura is trying to wrestle Asahina off his back. "This isn't what your Hope looks like, is it?! You'd... You'd never fight Munakata like this! Isn't he... Isn't he Hope to you?"

The area is pretty wide around the tower. Wide enough for everyone to be spread out or hanging back. Bandai and Hanamura move towards the tower to reinforce it with Sonia and Tanaka.

"..."

"You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt anyone, especially not Munakata! He's... He's definitely not Despair!"

Sakakura doesn't answer as he finally grabs a hold of Asahina by her hair and practically launches her at Naegi. Asahina hits him like a meteor and the two tumble backwards with a loud crash.

"Alright..." Owari laughs to herself. "I get to repay the favor at last! I'm gonna do it!"

She runs forward.

...

Madness quickly ensues as Saionji dives for the phone. She gets it and starts to run but Tengan is much faster.

Pekoyama's sword swings downwards and forces Tengan's attention.

"Someone take this fucking thing!" Saionji shouts.

"Ooh! Ibuki! Ibuki is open!"

Saionji tosses the phone to her and Mioda laughs and grabs it.

"You..." Tengan glares at Pekoyama.

"You will not be allowed to win. Such is the will of my Young Master... And it is my will as well." Not as a tool, but as an equal.

"You've been doing whatever the fuck you want for too long." Kuzuryu stands by her side. "You killed off our teacher. I'm gonna show you how we settle those kinds of debts..."

Tengan runs forward, aiming at Kuzuryu. Pekoyama moves to defend, which is expected, and leaves her open for a palm that strikes her midsection, sending her flying backwards into him. The two of them both fall and he charges Mioda.

A camera flash half blinds him, and more quickly follow. Koizumi takes rapid pictures of him as if he were a star on the red carpet.

...

The clash between Owari and Sakakura is brutal, because Sakakura isn't capable of holding back.

But Sakakura is down an arm, which makes his boxing technique less effective without follow-up attacks.

Even so, he still manages to get Owari on the ground. And she shakily stands.

Mioda has the phone and is running. His eyes train on her.

"Damn it... Forgot how tough you were... Alright. I'm gonna save you, and then we'll be even!"

"No Despair." Sakakura rushes Owari - but then dodges to the side and...

He slams right into Mioda as she's running.

The phone sails up into the air. And now it's anyone's guess what's going to happen next...

...

Tengan shields his eyes and rushes for the phone. 

Sakakura sees the phone and is about to go for it but is bullrushed by Gozu. A powerful shoulder tackle sends the two of them sprawling backwards. 

Kirigiri rushes for the phone but this puts her in the way of Tengan. She sees him out of the corner of her eyes, and is prepared for Tengan's attack...

Except that Kizakura knocks into Tengan with all his body weight, sending Tengan off balance.

"Oh dear... How clumsy of me."

"You..." Kirigiri stops to consider this but...

"I-I-I've got it...!" Tsumiki is backing up and not watching where she's going with her hands in the air. "I've got it...! I've got it...! I- Hweeeh!"

She knocks into someone, and takes a spill backwards.

"G-Get the fuck off me you sack of pig shit!" Saionji squeals underneath her.

The phone lands on top of them and Tsumiki laughs and holds it up in victory.

"I got it! Saionji, I got it!" She shows it to Saionji.

"Get off!!"

"Give it here." The fat Togami snatches it from her hand.

"No!" Tengan comes at them, but...

A spray of crimson splashes across the dirt. Tengan watches in abject horror seeing his hand - now unattached from his body - flies through the air.

Munakata's sword is red hot. When it all settles, Tengan is left in writhing agony while the hand falls limply in front of him a few feet.

"...The sword should have been hot enough to cauterize the wound." Munakata says, cold and furious. "Stay there, or I remove an eye next."

Izayoi and Nidai move to apprehend him. Between the two of them, they can keep him from moving somewhere else.

As Tengan gasps and sobs from the pain, Tsumiki and Kimura move to attend to him. But it's over.

...

"Come on, Sakakura. This isn't you." Gozu says holding him down.

"Is there anything we can do...?" Hinata looks to Komaeda.

"I don't know. All I can do is Luck but... maybe you could...?"

"Me?" Hinata looks skeptical.

"None of that is necessary." The fat Togami stomps forward with the phone before pulling Mitarai aside. "You already have the ability to make this right."

"I... It's..." Mitarai takes a moment but... "It's you...! You're...!"

"That's right. But now is not the time for such niceties..." A betrayal of emotion. "...There's time for that later."

"O-Oh my God!" Hagakure points to the fat Togami, after helping Asahina and Naegi up. "Togami got hella fat!"

"How rude." Another authoritative voice calls out. Walking forward, surrounded by bodyguards, is the skinny Togami. "You've forgotten what I look like already? You think I'll forgive you for that?"

"Wh... What?! There are two of them! Clones! Aliens! Pod people!"

"..." Asahina grumbles and tries to fix her hair. Sakakura had tugged it out of the ponytail. "I forgot how stupid you were."

Mitarai fiddles with the phone for some time while Sakakura kicks and struggles under Gozu. Togami's forces escort Tengan away in chains.

The soldiers that were brainwashed are also apprehended until they can be fixed.

"Sakakura..." Munakata kneels down next to him. "I'm sorry. I failed you again..."

"There is always Hope." Kirigiri smiles. "Between Mitarai and the three Luckiest people we know... I'm sure things will work out."

"That's right. Although..." Naegi laughs. "I'm not sure... how much good I'll be."

"Don't say that!" Komaeda has appeared out of nowhere to latch onto him. "The Super High School Level Hope cannot give up, it's simply-"

"Would you knock it off?" Koizumi glares at him and pulls him away with Saionji.

"Seriously, you're so gross!"

"Damn it..." Owari grumbles as Tsumiki tries to treat the wounds Sakakura inflicted. Most of it is bruising. "I was gonna save him and knock him out of Despair. Or... Hope... Whatever it is!"

"You did good. I'm proud of you!" Nidai smiles.

"...But if he's not..."

"Munakata." Togami looks to him. "Our men have retaken the building. And... the body has been recovered. They'll see she's treated with care until..."

Yukizome.

"...Thank you."

"As for everything else... I'll put the Remnants of Despair into protective custody until we're ready to deal with them."

"Oh my God! The po-po is arresting us! Ibuki's spotless record is in shambles!"

"...We... did rather questionable things under the influence of Despair." Sonia smiles weakly. "I am afraid our reputations are already..."

"Ibuki can't go to jail! She's too pretty!"

"...We will await judgement." Pekoyama nods. "Everything else is out of our hands."

"Tch." Kuzuryu turns his head. "As long as that bastard goes down for Miss Yukizome's death... I don't care."

"Miss Sonia! I did what you said! Wasn't I brave?" Soda is at it again.

"You were..." Sonia seems to consider it. "A valuable speed bump!"

"...Haaaaaarsh!" Mioda laughs.

"I was valuable!" Soda is over the moon. "I was so valuable!"

"You're... missing the context of that remark." Hinata laughs.

"I was way more valuable than you!" Soda points to Tanaka who isn't even listening.

"You all did brilliantly. Because of you, hell itself was held at bay." He's kneeling and speaking to the hamsters. "Tonight, the forces of our unholy union will toast to your triumph!"

"Just so!" Sonia smiles and kneels down to the hamsters. "I wish I could knight you all!"

"She... She's gonna knight hamsters?! But not me?!"

"...Now you're getting it." Hinata laughs again.

"But look..." Hanamura watches Sakakura and Gozu. "Two men, one on-"

"Technical foul!" Ibuki punts him. "Removed from play! Sent directly to the sin bin!"

"Marvelous, Mioda! I will knight you!"

"What?! Ibuki is a respected knight of the realm?! Ibuki's reputation is doing somersaults...!"

"Were..." Asahina looks to Naegi. "We weren't that crazy were we...?"

"Well..." He smiles. "We... had our moments..."

"I... I think I'm ready... to try." Mitarai says.

...

At Munakata's request, most of the Remnants of Despair and everyone else, have been ushered away. Sakakura would hate to be the center of attention.

Mitarai stands over Sakakura, leaning over with his phone.

"This should... reverse what's been done." Mitarai says sheepishly.

"Fool. Have faith in your own abilities." The fat Togami says with that same haughty stance. "You will reverse it because that is what you have decided to do."

"I... Yes. That's... That's right."

Leaning over, with Gozu holding him down, Sakakura is forced to look up at the screen that flashes the program.

Slowly...

Slowly......

The haze disappears from his eyes. And...

"...Kyosuke." Sakakura says weakly before looking over at him.

"Sakakura. Are you...?"

"...Sorry. I... I screwed up again."

Gozu waits for Munakata's approval before moving off of him.

"No. Of course you didn't." Munakata says comfortingly as he helps Sakakura sit up.

"..."

"Come along." The imposter looks to Mitarai. "Your job here is done. Let's help those affected soldiers. And then... We have things to discuss."

"...Okay." Mitarai looks like he might actually be breathing easier now.

"I'll let the others know." Gozu says quietly. "...But I'll be nearby. Just in case he's..."

"Sakakura is fine now." He says without looking. "Isn't that right?"

"...Yeah. I... I think so."

"...As you say then."

. . .

The Future Foundation's forces are still trying to take stock of the situation but...

Munakata and Sakakura haven't left yet for medical treatment.

The air is colder now with the sun setting. How long had they been in there...? And how much time was that for Munakata...?

"I'm sorry." Sakakura says. "...I fucked up. Right at the end. I always..."

"Stop apologizing." Munakata says simply. "There was no harm done."

"I hit you."

"And you were restrained before anything else happened."

"But..."

"I've already forgiven you. Now, you should forgive yourself." Munakata says simply. "The first step to that would be getting you to the hospital."

"...Did... Did we make it?"

"Make it?"

"...I mean, it's over, right?" He asks, afraid of what the answer might be. "I'm... I'm alive. And you're alive. So... It's over?"

"...I hope so." Munakata finds himself smiling, but he's also anxious. "I think... I think it's done. But, I'm afraid if I go to sleep, then... I'll wake up at the beginning again."

"They... took Yukizome's body away, right?"

"Yes. She'll be..." Munakata clears his throat. "I don't think she has any living relatives. But there will be funeral arrangements. She's at peace now."

"That's good." Sakakura looks to him seriously. "I saw her... Yukizome. When I was in that weird Hope vision... Whatever. I saw her. She... She was happy."

"It wouldn't be Hope if she was unhappy."

"And you were there."

"I did expect that. But I won't ask. I know it's an uncomfortable subject."

"...I knew it was off. I knew it... Something was wrong about it. But it just made me so fucking happy and... It wasn't real. I fell for it. I knew it was off, but I still fell for it."

"The same could be said for me. I fell victim to the suicide video, did I not? Even I did."

"Yeah but-"

"It was the same brainwashing. Do you believe I could have resisted the suicide video somehow?"

"What? No. That's-"

"Then stop torturing yourself. If you screwed up, so did I."

There's a tense silence before Sakakura finally exhales.

"You should... get your eye looked at. Before you get an infection."

"The same is true for your hand."

"I have... something I need to say to you." Sakakura says seriously. "Will you hear me out?"

"Of course. What...?"

Munakata feels himself embraced so tightly by Sakakura he thinks he might break. The words are so close to his ears, he can feel the warmth from Sakakura's breath.

"You're alive. I... I was able to save you. I'm so glad... I... I didn't screw that up."

"...Sakakura..."

"I know that... that you..." Sakakura takes a moment. "I know you said you could love me. I haven't forgotten. In fact, it's been... on my mind all day. But... I can't right now. I'm sorry."

"What do you...?"

"I... I mean, I want to. I really do. But... We just got out. And Yukizome's body only just got taken away. And we have to have a funeral and... And... And right now there are just a lot of emotions, right?"

"Yes." He admits.

"So... I don't want to say anything. Or do anything. Not yet. I..." Sakakura breathes into his ear. He's trembling. "I want to tell you how I feel and have you accept it and... and love me back. But... I need to wait. Until it's... Until it's the right time. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize." Munakata smiles in spite of himself, and wraps his arms around Sakakura to hug him back. "You never need to apologize for that."

"Please just give me some time. There's just too many emotions and I need to sort through them. But. Wait for me. Please."

"Of course."

Sakakura pulls back slightly enough to see Munakata's face. Sakakura's eyes are shiny with tears that could fall at any moment.

"...I'm... I knew I shouldn't have looked at your face." He says with a sad smile. "Because even though I said that... I know if I did, I'd screw this up but... I still... I really want to kiss you."

And instead he presses his forehead against Munakata's and closes his eyes.

"There's no rush." And the words do feel strange for him to say. "There's time now. There will be time."

"Could we stay like this...? Just a little longer...?"

Munakata smiles and finds himself chuckling. Even at the end of all of this... to be here. And smiling.

"How did this happen..." He says to himself. "Who do I have to thank for this..."

"Tell 'em I say thanks too." Sakakura smiles.

"I don't know if this is all some delusion or not but... If it is, I don't want to wake up. I'm so tired but I'm afraid I'll wake up and you'll be gone. And I'll be alone again."

"Then... Let's go back together. You can sleep on the ride back."

"Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere."

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Killing Game is now over! Although I'm not sure I like all the fight sequences I wrote, they were fun to do so I hope you enjoyed them!
> 
> Let the comfort begin... in the next chapter! 
> 
> P.S. Sorry for keeping Bandai out of the combat, I just don't know what his capabilities are...? ;w; 
> 
> (Also, speaking of parallels, the un-brainwashing thing with Mitarai and his phone was meant to sort of appear like the scene where Enoshima blackmails Sakakura... So... kind of a hopeful version of that.)
> 
> \- - - 
> 
> Now that the timelines are over I want all of you to realize.....
> 
> If you could gaze into the future  
> You might think life would be a breeze  
> Seeing trouble from a distance  
> But it's not that easy~  
> I try to save the situation  
> Then I end up misbehaving~
> 
> That's So Munakata!
> 
> You're welcome.


	12. Into Darkness Unafraid

Munakata waits patiently at the Sixth Division. This is technically Sakakura's Division, but he's had to ask for permission from Dougami instead of Sakakura.

"You're sure about this?" Dougami asks him. She doesn't like going behind her boss's back, and Munakata doesn't like it either, but it's best Sakakura not be here for it. "You don't have to see him. The judgement has been handed down."

"...I am sure. I'm sorry for putting you in such a delicate position." He says, bowing deeply. "I would not want to jeopardize your work relationship with Sakakura. What I'm asking of you is very unfair. Please, find it in your heart to forgive me."

Having the new Chairman bow to her of all people makes Dougami uncomfortable.

"...Tengan will likely be transferred to a more secure facility by tomorrow. But we're planning to have him under constant watch." She says, voice only wavering for a moment. "I have to say, this is... an unusual turn of events."

"I know."

"But... a mass murderer is dangerous, even if they fall short. But... even so, Tengan has been very polite and cooperative. I've told the officers on duty to keep a close eye on him, just in case. I'm of the opinion that he's no longer a threat to anyone... At least, given the current circumstances. I won't allow anyone to slack off, though."

"...Thank you. I would consider him dangerous. Even if he doesn't seem that way."

"Of course. Keeping Tengan... or any killer who thinks the way he does... away from society is what gives Hope to the society. Reconstruction involves maintaining order. I will keep the peace, so that Hope may thrive. That is the way we see things here in the Sixth Division." She says concisely. It must have been how Sakakura saw things as well. "...I'm... Forgive me for saying this, but... I'm glad that you and Sakakura have come through this as well as you have. Hearing about it... and what might have happened... was distressing."

Sakakura had told her. 

But then, of course he'd have to. And to her credit, Dougami had listened and refrained from making judgements. And when she took it all in, she believed them. She believed Sakakura's story. And why, Sakakura had asked? ...Because Sakakura wasn't one to lie about something like this, she'd responded.

How much had he told her? ...Munakata would like to speak more candidly to her, but he also wouldn't want to accidentally out him.

Tengan's betrayal couldn't have been more public for the Future Foundation, though the rumors flying around were that the Remnants of Despair had corrupted him. And Yukizome. They would have to do something about rumors of other corruption... The Future Foundation was like any organization of its size. But... He did know who he could trust now.

The exact specifics were known only to a handful of people outside of the various division heads, and people like Naegi or Asahina... The same was true for the location of the Remnants of Despair... a tightly guarded secret, or that had been the intention.

"...Do not worry. I don't plan on keeping this a secret from Sakakura forever. I simply... need to talk to the man." Munakata says with some hesitation. He knows it will upset Sakakura, but he doesn't want to make Dougami lie for him. "May I see him?"

"Of course. But... Just so you know, there is another visitor with him."

"Oh?"

...

Down to the holding cells, guards posted there in the Sixth Division... Tengan's cell was particularly spacious but it was considered solitary confinement.

Without his right hand, Tengan required special care for the time being. And because he was powerful and a danger to people, potentially, he was kept under heavy surveillance.

"...Will you still not tell me?" The voice is deep and baritone. "Were you tainted by Despair... or was this your Hope?"

"...Gozu, I would rather not discuss such things." Tengan's voice is soft and sad. "Is it enough to say I was doing what I thought was best?"

"No, sir. It isn't. Because..." The voice is more anxious now. Gozu had come here as well, then. "I need to know if the man I followed and vouched for betrayed me of his own free will or not."

"You have always been a kind and loyal bodyguard, Gozu. I am happy that you made it out of this alive. Am I allowed to say something like that? Even after all of this...?"

"Sir, please."

"I would like to continue to correspond with you, if you'll allow it. I believe I am still allowed visitors, even after my sentence is carried out..."

"Sir..."

"What would you have me say, Gozu?"

"I... I only want the truth."

Both Dougami and Munakata feel awkward for accidentally eavesdropping, but it isn't as if Tengan's conversations wouldn't be monitored.

"The truth is that what I have done cannot be undone. And whether or not I receive a harsher or more lenient punishment based on your question, it won't bring anyone back or change how I feel. And the truth is... that there is no Hope, nor peace, in the truth."

"I do not believe that. I cannot believe that. You were the one who...!"

"Do not become fixated on this, Gozu. You have not failed anyone. But... Having you here, even after all that I have done that could have killed you... is very unhealthy behavior. You are no longer in a position to trust blindly, Gozu."

"..."

"There is nothing left to say. Your Hope and Munakata's has won. What right does the loser have to speak...?"

"I deserve to know."

"We rarely get what we deserve, Gozu."

"..." There's the sound of movement. "We will speak again."

"I look forward to it."

With heavy footsteps, Gozu emerges from the doorway. His taciturn expression - fully visible without the mask - show a great amount of inner pain. It quickly switches to surprise and stoicism when he sees Munakata.

"Chairman." He says, almost brusque.

"You don't have to address me that way."

"..." Gozu has kept something of a distance between himself and Munakata during this transitional period. It isn't out of malice, he understands. But Gozu has had his faith shaken. "...Does Sakakura know you're here?"

"Not yet. But I will tell him. Soon."

"..." There's a look of annoyance and then regret. "...Whatever you do, don't lie to him. He... follows you. He admires you. Don't abuse that. Don't... use his admiration against him. He'll... be hurt by that."

Is he talking about Sakakura or himself? It's hard to tell. It's probably both.

"I think you and I knew Tengan better than most. If you want to talk, my door is always open for you."

"..." Gozu nods, quietly, and respectfully bows low to Dougami. "Thank you for allowing this. You have my sincere thanks."

"Think nothing of it, sir."

Does that mean Gozu had circumvented Sakakura as well...? Maybe best not to ask.

Gozu calmly makes an exit and Dougami allows Munakata entrance. She trusts the soldiers and officers to keep the peace, and returns back to work.

"Oh my. Two visitors in one day. How lucky I am. Speaking of unhealthy behavior..."

"Tengan."

Tengan looks... broken. Not angry. Not happy. Not sad, or bitter. Simply as if the world collapsed around him. And in a way, it had. The world was still fighting off Despair, and to him, the only person who could have saved the world has been tainted by a false Hope. What more is there to say about someone who has fought and lost?

His room is tidy and aside from the bed and private bathroom, he has a small television and radio, and a small table made of wicker.

The only thing that maybe looks dangerous in his room is the steaming tea he has in a paper cup, and the sheets on his bed. Potential weapons. Although with one hand down...

"Don't worry. I won't attack you."

"...I wasn't worried." Munakata had to leave his sword with Dougami, and he was also quite insistent that he not be allowed special privileges. He would receive the same treatment and screening procedures as any visitor. "May I sit?"

"Please." They sit across from each other at the wicker table, both sitting on the floor cross-legged. "Has Yukizome's funeral already passed?"

"It has." That had been almost two weeks ago. It had been almost three since the incident in the first place. "It was a beautiful service."

He at least knows better than to say he would have liked to have seen it.

"Mm... And how does it feel to be the Chairman?"

"...We both know I was the Chairman in all but name since the Future Foundation began. The only thing that's changed is the letterhead."

The sharp remark gets a startled chuckle from Tengan.

"Haha... That reckless arrogance suits you. You'll do great and terrible things."

"I already have."

"...Then you'll do more." He smiles. "How is Sakakura?"

"Angry."

"Mm... Well, that attitude also suits him. Angry at what? Or, should I say, with whom?"

"You."

"I see..."

"You're lucky your sentence and the actions taken against you weren't harsher." Munakata says with serene authority. "You are in his division, after all. His plans for you were... extreme."

"Oh, dear. I must have kicked a hornet's nest..."

"You killed Yukizome, nearly killed all of us, brainwashed him, used your video on me... And you're responsible for my eye and his hand."

"Yes, but is he more upset because of what I did to _him_... Or is it because of what I did to _you_." A knowing smile. "I think we both know the answer to that..."

"Sakakura's plan was that you would be given a modified bangle with Ando's NG code... You would not be allowed to leave the area in which you were imprisoned. Even if you could break out, which you could, the poison would end you. A hell of your own design, literally. Locked away forever."

"How barbaric. Where ever did he think of such an inhumane thing to do..." He smiles.

"Sakakura's reasoning was, and I quote, 'If the sick fuck wants out, he can chew off his other hand and see how he likes it'..."

"My, my..." Tengan lets out a chuckle. "What a colorful man. That must be what draws you to him. You are so... monochromatic."

"...He was outvoted. By the other heads. Surprisingly, it wasn't a unanimous rejection of the plan... Not counting Sakakura... the amount of people who wanted you to suffer was... higher than anticipated."

"The only one I can imagine clearly voting yes would be Ando... And perhaps Togami, if he were allowed to vote..."

"Would you like to know who wanted you to suffer?"

"Was one of those votes yours...?" Tengan is riveted.

"...I persuaded him not to in the end. A bleak end for you... Even I don't want that."

"How magnanimous. You were always born to be a tyrant. Seeing you stride around shaking the world with every step... It would have been better if you had killed yourself for real. No? Now the weight of everything is squarely on you. And every mistake will be your fault. Every death will be your fault."

"If that is what you believe." He answers simply.

"Then, what do we have to talk about?"

"...I want you to live out every day, knowing that I beat you. Knowing that I am the Chairman, and that I'll steer the world the way it should go, not based on some radical philosophy, but on common sense and communication. I want you to live every day knowing that you were wrong, and I want to spend every day proving you wrong. You weren't able to trust anyone and now you've fallen, alone. I won't allow that future for myself."

"And does Sakakura ease your lonely heart?"

Munakata ignores the question.

"Mitarai has found his happiness again. The Impostor and the other Remnants are friends of his, it would seem. Sakakura will heal, as will Gozu. And you are old. You will not leave jail alive. And if you try, I will hunt you down and execute you myself."

"...Is that all you wished to say to me?"

"No. I no longer care if you are Hope or Despair. It makes no difference. What you did was wrong. What you thought was wrong. But even so... You have always been my mentor. A teacher. And I considered you a friend. For whatever that is worth."

"And I have enjoyed seeing the man you have become. As terrifying as you are... You were always going to make a wonderful tyrant."

"I cannot forgive what you've done. But I am grateful to the person you were before this. So... Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Munakata bows respectfully. "And we will speak again."

And Munakata stands to leave.

"...The world is not so idyllic as you seem to believe, Munakata." Tengan smiles. "A world of Hope... is impossible with people the way that they are."

"...You are not the only person to think this way. But you are the only one to have tried to commit wholesale murder to make your point. I have never seen the world as idyllic. But... If you have lost your faith in humanity, then it is good that you are no longer part of humanity. The world is safer without you in it."

"As you say then..."

"You can keep holding on to the things you believe. Hope at any cost, lives that do not matter to you, tools to be used and discarded, a cruel game that you think you can impose on others, and a world you think only you are capable of saving... You may keep the rhetoric of yesterday." He turns and walks away. "But tomorrow is mine."

~ ~ ~

The hospital that they'd been moved to when this all began was under the supervision of the Fourth Division, which was Kimura's branch.

Ando had been discharged even before Munakata, given that her wound had been attended to by Tsumiki and Kimura very quickly, and the bullet had gone straight through. She hightailed it out of there as soon as possible to go spend time with Izayoi, most likely... or just to avoid Kimura and having to say thank you to her.

Munakata and Sakakura had been there longer, but Munakata had been discharged after the damage to his eye had been mended. The eye was no longer functional, but Munakata had accepted that rather quickly. He'd already lived through not having that eye... it was just a more upsetting scar this time around. But he had an eyepatch.

For Sakakura, it had been a longer process, since the damage to his hand had required surgical intervention. But with Kimura's medicine, his recovery time was greatly reduced.

The only reason he still came to the Fourth Division at all was because of the secret project that Munakata had devised.

"...Is it almost done?" 

Sakakura has been sitting there, watching Soda Kazuichi tinker on his new metal prosthetic hand for the past five hours. Although he knows he shouldn't rush it, it's been like this every time he's come. 

He'd had to come in for different sessions with Soda, who was frequently there with some of the other Remnants of Despair, all under heavy guard. At first it was just taking measurements for the hand. And then it became motor functions and testing.

And now... It seemed like it was the finishing touches, but how could one person spend five hours doing finishing touches on something?

"Almost..." Comes the answer as always.

"Would you like more tea, Sakakura?" Sonia asks, pouring him tea anyway.

...If this keeps up, she's going to murder his bladder. But how do you refuse tea from a Princess who deigns to serve it herself? Even Sakakura feels like maybe he should be serving it to her... Maybe that's just the power of her Super High School Level.

"But you are almost done, right? I don't have to come back for more tests?"

"That's the plan. But you should still stop by for some maintenance here and there. As often as you'd get your car checked out."

"..." Not that he had a car. Would he be able to drive at all with a bionic hand? ...Probably, right?

"Almost... there..."

Sakakura groans loudly. Always 'almost'.

"Do not worry, Sakakura!" Sonia smiles brightly. "Soda is quite skilled at these types of handjobs! He did perform one on Komaeda."

Soda immediately jolts and drops all of his tools all over the ground, loudly.

"..." Sakakura tries to keep a neutral face.

"M-Miss Sonia..." He laughs out of dismay, turning a violet reddish color. "That... That isn't what... this is called..."

...

It takes almost twenty more minutes, and Sakakura is passive aggressively texting Munakata about having to deal with the Mechanic before he's finally "almost" done.

"Hey, hey!" Asahina cheers loudly. "I'm back!"

"About time." Sakakura says as she sets down boxes of donuts.

"We would've been back sooner if _someone_ didn't eat all of them the first time while we were walking over here!" She says looking over to Owari, who has pink and brown frosting all over her face. "We had to go back and get more!"

"I was hungry. But seriously, Asahina you eat too many donuts." Owari licks her fingers. "You gotta get some protein in you. Like meat!"

"You ate two boxes of donuts, don't tell me how I should cut back!"

"..." Sakakura narrows his eyes at Owari. "How did you get out of the facility?"

"Huh? I walked out the front door, obviously."

"You aren't allowed to be outside on your own."

"...I had Asahina with me."

"No, you are in Future Foundation's protective custody until we decide what to do with you. You can't go out and mingle with common people who might recognize you as a terrorist! You can't be going out on your own, you need an armed escort and even then, it's got to be secret!"

They'd been moving the Remnants from place to place, but the idea was they'd go back to Jabberwock Island together... Or end up joining the Future Foundation, if they could find a way to convince people they weren't a threat. They would normally have been under watch by the Seventh Division, who countered Despair, but with Gekkogahara's death leaving a big vacancy, they were given to Kimura's division instead.

Still, it was best to keep them at the Fourth Division to make sure there weren't lingering effects from Despair, or from having been in comas for so long. Quite a few of them were receiving therapy; and most of them had needed something like therapy before they'd become Despair.

Both Sakakura and Munakata had been attending therapy sessions as well, separately. There... had been a lot going on, and a lot to process.

"..." Owari shrugs and makes a face. "No one stopped me. I'm sure it's all fine."

"It's not!"

"That reminds me..." Asahina looks at her other bag. "I don't know where I should drop off the sugar-free candy I got for Kimura...? Is she still around here?"

"Probably up in the offices or down in the labs. You might have to ask one of the techs." Sakakura answers simply. Owari isn't listening or taking it seriously. The more he gets angry, the more she doesn't care. Better to yell at Kimura's security staff for a while instead.

"Oh my, so many donuts to choose from..." Sonia is choosing a donut daintily.

"There we go!" Soda says and slides the metal panel in place before affixing it. "All done! Try it out!"

Sakakura has to get used to the weight of it, since it is heavier than his actual hand. But... to the best of his knowledge, the Mechanic designed it to react to the way his muscles work, so all he had to do was act as if he were going to clench his fingers into a fist and...

The fingers all clench into a fist. He then extends them, and works each finger individually. It...

It actually works!

Unbeknownst to him, Asahina is filming it with her camera.

"...What are you doing?" Sakakura's own wonderment and joy are swept away as he puts on a sour face for Asahina.

"Making a video to send to Munakata, duh."

"Turn it off."

"What? Why? He's on his way here anyway."

"...I... wanted it to be a surprise."

"...Fine. I'll send it to him an hour after he gets here, okay?"

Soda immediately gets in front of her phone.

"This particular design's even more advanced than the Komaeda model!" He smiles into the camera. "It's fireproof, waterproof, won't conduct electricity (probably), and it's perfectly adapted to a Boxer's violent tendencies!"

"My what."

"It's a custom job after all. Sakakura's gotta smash stuff, so the hand'll smash!" 

"...Yeah, I'll cut that part out." Asahina starts messing with her phone. "Your explanations are boring."

"Have some respect for the creators!"

"...Thank you." Sakakura says quietly. "I mean it... Thank you very much."

Soda smirks at him and... immediately begins pestering Sonia for a compliment. It's not exactly fishing for a compliment so much as trawling for one.

Sakakura has to snag a donut before Owari or Asahina start to eat them all.

~ ~ ~

When Munakata comes, he's definitely surprised when Sakakura waves to him with the new robotic hand.

They say their thanks to the others, and leave before Owari can challenge him to a fight, and before they have to see the inevitable fight between Asahina and Owari for the rest of the donuts.

...

They stop off in one of the conference rooms to have a more private conversation, at Munakata's insistence. It's nighttime now. The fluorescent bulbs flicker here and there as they talk. Outside is dark, with only city lights to illuminate the night.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sakakura asks seriously, adjusting his jacket with the robotic hand to check dexterity. His jacket is the cleanest it's ever been after going to the dry cleaners. It... was very strange to see Sakakura in a different jacket, or not wearing one at all. "Your eye's okay right? No complications?"

"No, nothing like that." His eye had healed... or as much as it was going to, scarred up behind the eyepatch. The fever went away once Munakata was sleeping regularly and began taking medication, and of course, relaxing, which had been its own struggle. "There was something I needed to tell you."

"...Okay. Tell me."

"I... went to see Tengan today."

Munakata expects anger, but Sakakura only gives him a cold and frustrated stare.

"...Yeah. I figured."

"You did?"

"...Well, Gozu wanted to see him. He said he wanted to talk to him before he gets moved. I figured you would too, eventually."

"Are you angry with me?"

"...Only that you didn't ask me up front." He says calmly.

"I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't approve."

"Begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission, huh? You knew how I felt but you still decided to do whatever you felt like. You trust me that much, huh?"

His words come out angry, a cold ferocious fury, gritting his teeth.

"...I'm sorry. You're right. I need to trust you more."

"Wait..." Sakakura's anger breaks down into annoyance, and regret. "Sorry. That wasn't... I wasn't trying to be mean. It... You hurt my feelings. But you didn't deserve that. I don't... want to fight. Sorry."

"It's alright. You're more than entitled to be upset."

"I... I do get it. He was your mentor and all. I understand. I can't forgive what he did, though. Not to Yukizome. Not to you. Or any of us. I will never forgive him."

"I completely understand. To a certain extent, I agree." Munakata nods. "However... There were things I needed to say. And, next time I will ask your permission directly. It is your Division. I shouldn't undercut your authority like that."

"...There's gonna be a next time, huh?" A twinge of anger resurfaces.

"..." Munakata looks surprised, because he had given himself away, but... "Yes... If you'll allow it."

"Yeah... I'll allow it. It's... It's not like I should be refusing the Chairman."

"Don't say it that way, Sakakura. I value your friendship and guidance. I don't want us to... stand on ceremony. You and I are... closer than that. Too close to let titles get in the way of... things between us."

"I don't know how you can see him and not want to beat him to death. You..." He lets his anger go before it can properly take hold. "No. I'm done. I don't want to talk about him anymore. He's... He's ruining my good mood. And I want to be happy."

Munakata gives a small smile as he reaches out and touches the prosthetic hand. It's astounding the way Sakakura's metal fingers twitch and react as if he's surprised to be touched. It's so lifelike, if they weren't clearly metal, he would have assumed Sakakura could feel his hand.

"It's very nice."

"Not too late to get yourself a bionic eye." He jokes.

"That's an unnecessary waste of resources." Munakata continues to hold onto his hand.

"I mean, I still gotta wash it out and do maintenance and stuff but... He says it should work like a normal hand now. So... Thanks, for arranging this."

"Of course. Based on his designs, imagine how much Hope he could bring to the world with just his prosthetics... Not to mention the air purifiers." Munakata's thinking big picture again. "But... More importantly, he's given you Hope."

"You know, I like you talking about Hope more than the kid but..." Sakakura gives a grin.

"Too cloying?"

"Not cloying... Enthusiastic. You Hope types are a unique bunch. It looks good on you though. If it were anyone else..."

"..."

"What...?"

"Nothing. I... like the way you look right now. Happy. It suits you. Happiness looks good on you. You should smile more for me."

"..." There's an uncomfortable pause where a thought occurs to Sakakura, but he's not sure if he should... "...Munakata."

"Yes?"

"...I... I'm sorry. I don't know how to start these things."

"...?"

"W-Well... You said you'd wait. And... you did. And..." He takes a deep breath. "If Yukizome were here, she'd be yelling at me to get on with it or something so... I'm just gonna do it."

"Alright." He has a feeling he knows where this is going.

"...I... Well... The thing is, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I should've said it earlier, but I didn't want your grief or your... the healing process and your fear of waking up at the beginning of a new timeline again... which is... or... wait, but... Sorry, can I start again?"

"Sakakura, just tell me."

"I told you before that I liked you. I told you just about everything. About how it all went down, and... You'd heard it all before from other versions of myself too. But... I wanted to say..." Sakakura takes a long deep breath, unable to move his eyes from the point at the floor he's staring at. If it doesn't go well, he doesn't want to see Munakata's expression. "...I still like you. In fact, I... I think I feel more strongly than ever that I... I... I'm in love with you. I thought maybe my feelings would change or yours would, since we were dealing with so much shit but... I still... I still love you. I'm still in love with you, Kyosuke."

"..."

"...And... I'm here, terrified... practically shaking, because I'm scared to ask you if..." Sakakura looks to him, trying to gauge his response after having stared at the ground, betraying his earlier intention. "Do you still think you could love me? Did... you change your mind about me? It's okay if you did. I won't... I mean... I shouldn't have confessed first, I put you on the spot but..."

"Yes. I do love you, Sakakura... Juzo."

Immediately, Sakakura almost leaps back, shocked from the confession and... they're both blushing in the dim lights.

"You... You do...?"

"Yes. My... own feelings have been harder to put into words. I'm sorry that I never saw you there before. If I had known, I wouldn't have let you... I wouldn't have left you to be..." He struggles to find the words. "You would not have been hurting all this time if I had known. I'm sorry, I can't change that. But... I am here now. And with circumstances the way that they are... I don't want to waste more time."

"Y-Yeah. I feel the same..." He had felt bad that he was was confessing after all of this, still. "I... I asked Yukizome if it was okay if I confess to you. I went and visited her grave and talked to her. I don't know what kind of answer I expected but... I told her that... I told her I was going to try and be happy now. And... And so I decided I'd tell you again. Now that things have settled more."

"I see."

"So... I... How does this work? Do I... Do I ask you out on... a d-date?"

Seeing Sakakura so flustered is amusing. He hasn't seen that kind of reaction from him very often. Was he always so insecure? And... why does that make him want to hold him closer?

"I would love to go on a date with you... Juzo."

"I... I don't know if I can handle you saying my first name like that..."

"Juzo." He smiles, defiantly. "...But if you're serious, I'll stick with Sa-"

He doesn't have time to finish before Sakakura's lips have crashed into his. There's desperation there, as Sakakura pushes him back with the weight of the kiss leaning into him; left hand - the prosthetic - holding Munakata's face, while the right pulls Munakata closer to him by wrapping around his waist.

In the privacy of the room, Sakakura is bolder and more confident than out in the public eye. But that too is a burden they can face together, if Sakakura will allow him.

"..." When the kiss ends, Sakakura is shaking and he pulls back, but not all the way, now staring at each other. "...Kyosuke."

Sakakura whispers his name like it's a secret delight that no one else is allowed to hear. A magical word that gives him relief, as he sighs it out, trying to get himself to stop shaking.

"Are you alright?" Munakata asks as he places his hands on Sakakura's waist.

"I'm fine. I... I have..." He gives a small chuckle, closing his eyes as he rests his forehead against Munakata's. "It sounds so stupid and cliche but... I have ached for you... the idea of having you in my arms like this... And it finally happened... I got lost in the moment."

"I want to kiss you again." Munakata says boldly and it makes Sakakura stare at him, wide-eyed, moving his head back, their foreheads no longer touching. "Can I?"

"...Of course. You... don't have to ask."

"Thinking about you in this way... since the time this began, more or less... I confess that I too have been..." Munakata's words don't sound so elegant when he's also trembling and blushing. "I also have been imagining what this would be like."

"And... you're okay with it...? With me...?"

"You are an integral part of how I imagine my future. If I am Hope, then you are too. You are _my_ Hope. But... If you doubt me, then... How many times would you like me to tell you that I love you?"

"Well... That's..." Sakakura shudders hearing those words.

Munakata smiles and kisses him gently, lips only just touching barely.

"I love you." Another kiss. "I love you..."

And again, and again, and again until...

"S-Stop you're..." Sakakura pulls away, blushing madly. This kind of tactic is... "That's too advanced for me..."

"Kiss me back then."

"I... I will. I want to catch my breath first." He admits, sheepishly, looking down.

Is Sakakura embarrassed? That's a face he rarely sees. He'd like to see it more. He'd like to see him unafraid and not so nervous, but... It isn't like Munakata isn't feeling those same things.

"You taste sweet." Munakata gives him a playful smirk. "I thought you might."

"That... I'm sorry, I should have brushed my teeth first!" Mortifying.

"Were you eating donuts with Asahina again? You... taste like chocolate frosting."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"For your sake, I hope you saved me one."

"..." Sakakura's face goes blank. "Sorry. I... I didn't."

"That's alright. I can think of a way you can make it up to me."

Which means more kissing, and... who is Sakakura to complain?

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it happens, there will likely be one or two more chapters before I end this particular fic.
> 
> I think maybe 2? I kind of want to give all the characters closure... and... then there's smut because why wouldn't there be?
> 
> (Also I like to imagine Sakakura watching the tapes from Munakata's visit with Tengan and just like... getting really strangely turned on by his ambitiousness does that make sense?)


	13. Despair in the Rearview Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW happens in this chapter; along with shameless fluff and feels

Kissing was one thing... Kissing was a very fun thing and somehow, kissing Sakakura was...

Munakata had worried that it might feel strange to kiss another man like this. That it would be strange, and he would hurt Sakakura's feelings, or that he would do something strange. He'd been afraid of going on dates with him, or allowing him to spend nights at his place, even if nothing happened. Because he was unsure of how it would affect Sakakura, and wasn't sure at what speed they should be going.

And Sakakura was afraid of the same things; afraid Munakata would come to his senses and change his mind. Or that there would be something about kissing him that he wouldn't like, that he would somehow do or say something and Munakata would fall out of love with him in an instant.

But kissing came naturally. And it didn't feel wrong, or strange. The only thing behind the kisses was determination, and a hint of fear.

After some time had passed...

They find themselves returning to Munakata's place...

...

"...Keep kissing me." Munakata says as they practically tumble through Munakata's apartment. It's stark and spartan as anyone could have expected. "...Juzo."

He continues the kisses until they reach the bedroom. All of this had been planned, at least to some degree.

Spontaneous sex would have been more romantic, but they had a talk about this and...

Sakakura had told him that as much fun as it would be to let the moment take them, it would probably be best if they had planned on having sex. Because sex, particularly with two men, required... preparation.

Munakata had sat spellbound by Sakakura's knowledge of it but... Didn't that mean he was doing research on it? Or had he been reading things, or watching things...?

Still... He was right. There was preparation that was needed.

...And because it was their first time, particularly, Sakakura had volunteered to bottom. Which... was very generous of him, considering he was sure it was going to feel uncomfortable.

"...I'm sorry." Sakakura says breaking off their kiss at the bed.

"For what?"

"Well... You kind of spaced out. I thought maybe I was..."

"You're fine. I'm sorry. I was lost in thought."

"Is it something I can help with?"

"It was about us having sex." He states blankly.

"O-Oh. Well... Okay. Let's talk." Sakakura says sitting on the bed.

"...You don't have to be the one receiving if you don't want to." Munakata sits next to him.

"It's not that I don't want to."

"But it... would be uncomfortable. And I am inexperienced... especially with another man. I... have never done this."

"I don't need you to be a porn star, Kyosuke." Sakakura kisses him. "I just need you."

"Are you certain this is what you want...?"

"This ain't like you..." Sakakura is a little impressed. He's never seen Munakata so insecure. "We... don't have to do this tonight, if you don't want to."

"You prepared for it, I..."

"I can do the prep again a different night. I don't want to rush you." Sakakura kisses his forehead. "It's okay. We'll do it again later."

As Sakakura stands to leave...

"No, don't... don't go." Munakata grips his hand. "I do want to. But... Please be patient with me. I am... I have no idea what I'm doing."

"That's why I wanted to be the one to... you know. So you can relax and focus on how it feels like this."

"..."

"When you feel up to it, we can switch and try it out later. But... gotta warn you, the first time is... can be kind of painful."

"...You have experience?"

"I..." Sakakura grumbles. "Do you really want to know?"

"Was it another man...? Or your fingers...? A toy?"

"...Let's..." Sakakura clears his throat, blushing. "Let's just focus on the two of us, okay? We'll... We can discuss me and what things I've done later."

"I've made you uncomfortable, I apologize."

"Stop apologizing. Try and relax. I'm not going anywhere and... we've got the night to ourselves."

The two of them end up lying down on the bed on their sides talking to each other. Sakakura wants him to feel more at ease. Maybe he was rushing things, or, maybe Munakata was.

Periodically the talking dies down, and they're left with a silence that looms over them like a dark stormcloud. Sakakura can see in his eye that he wants to ask something but won't. And judging on how he looks at the metal prosthetic, it must be that.

"..."

"Just ask me, already." Sakakura says at last. "You don't need to stare at it, just ask."

"...I'm sorry. I know it's rude to stare."

"It doesn't hurt me." He says, ignoring the apology. "I don't feel any pain from it. And sometimes with the metal hand there, I forget it's gone."

He wiggles some of his fingers.

"..."

"Are you afraid of me now? Does it... frighten you?"

"No. I'm not afraid." He says simply. "Not of you, anyway. I am afraid that at some point I'll close my eyes - or, eye, I mean - and find myself back there, having to find a way out of it again, repeating the timeline... That this is all some illusion or dream. I'm afraid that maybe somewhere I did fall into Despair and this is a delusion my mind created to keep me safe... or, worse, that I'm not in Despair, but my brain established this as a coping mechanism anyway."

"...Kyosuke."

"I don't... want to wake up and realize you've died. Or, find out that this isn't real. I'm... afraid that what I've done cannot really be undone so easily. That my punishment for everything I did is to keep reliving this... That someone is going to take you away from me."

"You can't live in fear..."

"I know that. I'm trying. I really am." He says sadly. "I'm just.. afraid that this is all there is."

"What do you mean?"

"Just... this. Living like this, but only in my mind. And that I'm really just talking to myself."

"We'll wait. Until you're ready. Like I said, there's no rush."

"..."

"And don't apologize. After everything you've been through, I'd be scared if you didn't think like this." Sakakura smiles at him. "I'll go. You should rest."

"...Don't go." Munakata says as Sakakura sits up on the bed. "I don't want to be alone right now."

"...You sure?" Sakakura eyes him warily. "...No sex though. Not... until you're totally okay with it. I won't take advantage of you."

"If that's what you want, that's fine. I... need you closer. Please stay."

Sakakura stands up and stretches.

"Then, I'll get ready for bed. Do you have some blankets? I'll camp out on the couch."

"Don't be foolish, you're staying in the bed. I told you, I need you closer."

"But..." Sakakura blushes and looks down.

"I want you to myself. I want to... hold you. And I need to know that you're in reach. I won't try anything unless I know that I'm ready... Is that acceptable?"

"..." He makes it sound like a contract, but... "If you're sure."

...

Sakakura changes his clothes, though Munakata is watching him, fascinated. Seeing the way his body moves and how he looks with less clothing, and understanding that he could have Sakakura... Makes him look so handsome when he pulls his pants down.

"..."

"What?" Sakakura turns around.

"Nothing. I was enjoying the show."

"...Don't say things that are so out of character. I'm not..." He becomes flustered. "I just sleep in my underwear. It's not like I could really be comfortable sleeping in these slacks anyway..."

"Don't be self-conscious. I simply... was admiring you."

"...Sometimes you say these things and I wonder if you really understand what it means. It's like you don't know what that does to me, or how it sounds."

"I could be coarse and say I like the way your ass looks in your tight underwear. Would that clear up your confusion?"

"..." Sakakura turns scarlet and tries to discretely get into the bed without showing Munakata how aroused he is by that. "Like I said, don't say things that are out of character for you. It... gives me chills."

Munakata also undresses, and Sakakura wills himself not to watch. As expected, Munakata's pajamas are warm and maybe slightly formal compared to Sakakura's.

...At least he didn't wear a tie to bed.

~ ~ ~

Opening his eyes, Munakata finds himself... standing outside of a movie theater?

The lobby outside of the theater is entirely empty. No one is manning the concession stand either.

Is... there a movie already in progress?

As if compelled to, he opens the door to the movie theater.

"Could we please not watch that again?" A male voice says groaning. Munakata recognizes it as Sakakura.

"But it was so cute! And so sad... And it makes me cry..." Yukizome's voice.

"Then stop watching it."

"But it hurts so good..."

"Ugh."

Stepping down a series of steps he sees Yukizome and Sakakura in the stadium seating of the theater.

"Hey! Munakata!" She waves.

"Yo." Sakakura waves too. "Good to see you again."

"...What...?"

"Come on! Sit, sit!" Yukizome ushers him towards them with her hand.

...

Sitting down next to the two of them, they turn to him.

In the background...

_"Even if I've been abandoned... I still want him to live...!"_

Yukizome breaks down into tears again.

"Seriously, stop watching it over and over. Even I get sick of my own death." Sakakura rolls his eyes.

"But it was so...!"

"...What...?" Munakata watches the screen.

"Look, you're upsetting him. Give me the remote. Or turn it off."

"..."

Sakakura takes the control from her and the projector stops playing.

"Hey! I was watching that!" A shower of popcorn rains down on them. Enoshima Junko yells at them loudly. "Turn it back on!"

"Shut the fuck up." Sakakura glares up at her.

"...I liked you better in my arc." She huffs.

"I liked you better dead and quiet."

"...I don't understand."

"Well..." Yukizome looks to Sakakura. "You explain."

"Me? It was your plan."

"...Plan?"

"..." Yukizome looks to him. "Well, it was... We saw you. From here, we could... see you alone. And... Well, I sort of tried something."

"She means we saw you after we died and... we couldn't let you live out your life like that. So, Yukizome and I... Her mostly... We tried to change things."

"And it worked!"

"What... did you do?"

"...I don't really understand it myself but... We kind of... I guess rewound things? And..." Yukizome sighs. "It doesn't make sense. I'm sorry."

"You... rewound?" Munakata pauses. "You were the cause of the alternate timelines...?"

"It was harder than you make it sound." Yukizome says. "We... Well, we had to pick a point in time where one of us could save you, but... Sakakura died much later than I did."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to save you too." Sakakura frowns.

"...You died." Munakata looks to Sakakura. "You're the first... Sakakura."

"Technically I'm the only Sakakura. This..." He looks around. "I don't really get it myself but the guy next to you where you are is also me. I think."

"We could only go back to the point when one of us died. But Sakakura... Well, you wouldn't have had time to save him, so I gladly accepted!" Yukizome smiles. "Because... I want you two to live too."

"I... I don't understand. None of this makes sense." Munakata sighs wearily. All of this was making his head hurt.

"All you need to know is that you did it." Sakakura smiles. "And I'm alive because of you. Everyone is... except..."

"It's okay, really." Yukizome says wiping her eyes. "I got you to keep me company, right? And it's really not that bad alone... or even with her." She motions to Enoshima.

"Yeah. I'm not going anywhere. At least not for a little bit... I think." Sakakura leans back in the chair. "Though it's really embarrassing watching NC-17 things with her."

"...It's not my fault. I was here first." Yukizome crosses her arms.

"Sakakura..." He looks to him. "...You died for me."

"W-Well... Yeah. I guess."

"He beat me to it." Yukizome smiles. "But, I kind of got to die for everyone else to live... So I win!"

"It's not a competition."

"...I really didn't have any intention of sharing you, Munakata." She looks to him seriously. "But... I want you to be happy."

"Me too." Sakakura nods. "That's why it's okay."

"What... What's okay?"

"...I'm sorry my death hurt you so much." Sakakura says, looking down. "It was supposed to make things easier. But I just made you sad instead. I... I'm sorry."

"You're..." Munakata laughs bitterly, tears beginning to run down his face. "You're apologizing to me...? For me killing you...? This... Is this a joke?"

"I'm sorry I let you down. I should've been honest with you from the start. But... I hope you can understand why I lied. Please, forgive me."

"...Juzo..."

"Ah, I got you to say my name." Sakakura smiles. "That... makes me happy."

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me. I should be apologizing to you. I'm... so sorry for what I did."

"Hey, I got to come back... a lot of times. I didn't really get it until I kept coming back here again and again with more memories but... No version of me blamed you."

"..."

"I do love you." He says smiling. "I don't have to hide it now. Not here. I wish I hadn't, but... That's just how things were, huh?"

"I should have... known. And understood."

"Hey, you're... going around in circles. And it's making me cry." Yukizome says sniffling. "But it's okay, right? Things are okay."

"You're still dead, Yukizome... Chisa." He says looking to her. "I'm sorry I put you in harm's way. None of this would have happened if not for that."

"Water under the bridge."

"But-"

"You're going to live a loooong happy life. With Sakakura, right?"

"That's my hope at least." Sakakura is so different. Lighter. Happier. Death has freed him from a need to be nervous or fearful. "I want you by my side, Kyosuke. Don't... hold yourself back because of what happened to me."

"And... I think it'll be okay if I release you." Yukizome smiles.

"Release me from... the cycle?"

"Yeah. I... Well, I thought about having you stay just in case but... I don't think that'll be allowed. So... Best ending possible, it's all yours! Live the happy ending."

"...This... isn't real, is it?"

"Does it matter?" Enoshima says loudly from the top. "Either it's real, and everything's fine, or it's not real and nothing changed except maybe your brain's trying to comprehend everything and let go. God, you're so boring with your angst, just get on with it and start with the happy."

"...Why would you want happiness?"

"Well... Seeing all my plans fail, and everything I worked for undone... Seeing everyone be hopeful and lose Despair... That's its own kind of Despair, right?"

"..." Sakakura watches her. "I still hate her."

"Hate me all you want. You still can't kill me. Let that be your Despair."

"Shut up, I'm going to beat Despair and be happy and you can rot in hell."

"If this is hell, it's cozier than I thought. I was expecting a parade in my honor~"

"..."

"Anyway. So... Take it as you will. Maybe it's real, maybe it's not. But when you wake up it'll be okay, right?"

"...Yes. You're right."

"And neither of us blame you." She says smiling.

"...Juzo... I'm..."

"It's okay now. Like they said, if it's real then you know it's okay. And if it's not... Well, things are still okay."

"...I suppose you're right."

"You two want some alone time?" Yukizome asks. "I can go get some popcorn and leave you to it."

"Wait... I..." Munakata looks to her. "Thank you. For everything. I didn't say it enough when you were alive, so if this is really you... Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for. And..." Yukizome smiles. "When you die for real, we can sit together and watch how it all went down. The three of us."

"That... sounds fun." Munakata nods.

Yukizome walks up the steps and then turns to Enoshima.

"You want anything?"

"A barf bag." She rolls her eyes.

"I'll get you an empty popcorn bucket."

...

Sakakura pulls him aside out of earshot from Enoshima.

"I know it's a lot to take in." Sakakura says with a smile. In this place... Munakata can see he still has his left hand. And Munakata notices he still has his right eye. "I wish I could explain this all better, but even I don't really understand it."

"All this time I thought I was being punished, but... It was you and Yukizome trying to help me?"

"...Kinda. I... I think there were bigger forces than just us. But, like I said, I don't really understand it."

"You're the same as you were." He says looking at him carefully. "...Your hand. And everything else."

"Well... It'd be kind of shitty if I still had stab wounds and shit in the afterlife." He smiles. "Though, you do look good in an eye patch."

"Is it just you two here...? And her?"

"Well, not exactly." He sighs. "Actually, there were more of us. Gozu, Kizakura, Bandai, Kimura, Ando, Izayoi... You know. Gekkogahara we haven't seen, and Tengan I think was avoiding us... but... Well, we were all watching. Did you hear us rooting for you?"

"...No. I'm sorry, I didn't."

"We got kind of loud. I think any ordinary theater would've kicked us out." He says before putting his hands on Munakata's shoulders. "We got so happy every time we'd disappear to be reincarnated. But... Even if one of us died, we'd still cheer you on. It... Well, some of the other survivors ended up here too, like Asahina once, and Kirigiri but... It's complicated."

"It sounds like it." Munakata pauses. "...Wait. Why are you here now?"

"Huh?"

"Sakakura is still alive in this timeline. Why...?"

"Because you're keeping me here." Sakakura smiles. "I mean... Not all of me. I think. I... Well, I'm still with you there, but you keep thinking of me as dead. And now that you made it, Yukizome's going to let go of whatever we did to make it this way... I think. That's just a feeling I get."

"...That... That doesn't make any sense."

"Neither does a lot of the shit we've been through."

"..."

"You can let go of me, Kyosuke. I'll be there when you wake up. You don't have to keep thinking of me as dead. I'm... as alive as you believe I am."

Munakata looks at him. His eyes begin to fill with tears.

"...Juzo."

Munakata pauses, as if he wants to say something.

"What...?" He smiles sadly. "Don't cry for me... It's okay..."

"I stabbed you. You're... the one I stabbed."

"And I got to hear you apologize for being late. That was... it felt nice." Sakakura smiles.

"Please. Can I tell you something...?"

"Anything."

Munakata stops and takes a deep breath. Tears spill over. The tears he'd been holding back. The ones that were reserved for his Sakakura... or... every Sakakura, in a way. But... for things he did to this Sakakura.

"I'm so sorry. I'm... so, so sorry..."

"H-Hey... You don't have to apologize again, I get it... I..."

"No. Please. Let me finish."

"Okay..." 

The tears roll down his cheek.

"I failed you. I failed you from the beginning. I let you come with me and let you abandon your dream for me. I led you into hell, and I lost you. I... I may as well have killed you myself. There is no other way for me to say it... There are no words to make it sound better, or nicer... I... I failed you."

"..." Sakakura feels his own tears begin to spill over, and though he wants to negate it immediately, he waits.

"I was too late to tell you this in life, and for that I am... eternally sorry. I failed you. And I hope that, even if this is a dream, and even if everything I've been through with this reincarnation has been just a dream... and that if I wake up and find myself alone with all of you dead for real... I can only hope that somewhere, you are able to forgive me. I was unfair to you. And I was cruel. And I failed you. Please, forgive me. You wanted me to live, but wasn't your life also precious too...? Didn't you also deserve to live...?"

"H-Hey... It's..." Sakakura wipes tears away with the sleeve of his jacket. "It's not like you to say such things. You're giving me chills..."

"If this is all a dream, I hope one day I can find you and apologize properly. And that somewhere, you're waiting for me with Yukizome and not alone. And if this is all a dream, I hope I can meet you there, and tell you again how much I regret what I did to you in life, and how blind I was by your side."

"...Like I said, it's... not a dream. At least, I'm pretty sure it's not. When you wake up, you'll be with me." Sakakura smiles again. "And I'll be happy for that. I've always known how much you cared about us. You never needed to say it."

"But I did. And I still do. And... If I wake up next to you, I will spend the rest of my life atoning for what I did. I will never... I will cherish you this time. Whether we are fated to be friends, or something more, you will always be my best friend. And I will cherish you properly."

"Me too. I'm... so glad you lived." Sakakura finds himself laughing.

"..."

"Actually, there's one thing I want to say. If you're not sure if this is a dream or not, I can give you a suggestion."

"A suggestion?"

Sakakura smiles to himself, almost uncharacteristically as he leans in and whispers something to Munakata.

"..."

"Really?"

"Yup. Give it a try. It's... Well, it's how I always wanted you to... Maybe it's too embarrassing to say." He sighs and shakes his head. "Anyway, give it a try, see what happens. I think I'll like it."

...

"Oh my God, would you side characters hurry it up?" Enoshima throws more popcorn. "The movie's about to start again!"

"Wait...! I have popcorn...!" Yukizome comes running in, spilling popcorn everywhere with a comically sized bucket. "Did I miss the best part?"

"Nah, those two were being stupid and cloyingly sweet. Let's watch you fall from the chandelier again, that always puts me in a good mood."

"..." Sakakura rolls his eyes. "She's been like this the whole time."

"...So, this is goodbye again, right?" Yukizome smiles sadly. "You and Sakakura are both leaving?"

"Huh...? Both of us?"

"Well, there's nothing tying me here anymore. I think... I'll just end up by your side where you left me. You don't have to worry. I... I think it ends well."

"I'll do my best!"

~ ~ ~

"...Kyosuke?"

"Mm...?"

"Kyosuke. Are... Are you okay?"

At once, Munakata opens his eye and sits up.

"What...?"

Sakakura sighs, more relaxed.

"Sorry. You... You were crying and..." Sakakura reaches up and realizes that he too has been crying. "...I..."

"Did you... have a strange dream too?" Munakata asks using his thumb to wipe away Sakakura's tears.

"I don't know." Sakakura furrows his brows. "Why, what did you have a dream about?"

After a brief explanation...

"...And then Yukizome sent me back. I think."

"That sounds like the worst fantasy romance novel." Sakakura is not impressed. "Why would there be a movie theater in the afterlife? ...And... And what did Yukizome do, ask God to send you back? I... I don't understand it at all."

"It could all be just a dream."

"Yeah. Then don't worry about it." Sakakura finishes drying his eyes. "It's not like there isn't enough weird shit in our lives as it is."

"You were crying though."

"..." He shrugs, noncommital. "I'm not saying you're wrong... I'm just saying... Well, if the apocalypse can be caused by high schoolers and there are robot murder-bears, then why the fuck wouldn't there be a mystical afterlife theater and some deity decides to send you back to correct shit... Who am I to judge at this point?"

"...I'll cherish you." Munakata repeats what he said there.

Sakakura immediately tenses up and shivers.

"S-Stop that... You're giving me chills."

"...Did that feel... familiar?"

"What...? I... I don't know... Kind of?"

Sakakura's face says that he's trying to understand what's happening, while also having a momentary existential crisis. Munakata can't help but smile at this. Then... His words did get through. Or, he believes that they did. He was able to apologize to the real Sakakura... Or... the Sakakura that started this all... And he's a part of this Sakakura...?

No... that's wrong. Sakakura is Sakakura.

"..." Munakata shakes his head. "No, I still don't understand."

"Understand what...?"

"I feel as if the plot doesn't exactly make sense but..." He sighs. "It's fine. As long as you're alright."

"Yeah. I'm fine. Do... you want breakfast? I'm not the best cook but..."

"Later." Munakata looks at him seriously. "There's... something I need to try first."

"...Try?"

"Would you allow me?"

"What are you going to do?"

Munakata doesn't really explain it, nor could he accurately explain it. But...

Munakata surprises him by moving close to him, wrapping a hand around Sakakura's waist. Sakakura is still really in just his underwear, so he can feel the goosebumps rising as he does it. Slowly but surely, Munakata embraces him before leaning in close to Sakakura's left ear.

"...Good morning, Juzo." He whispers directly into Sakakura's ear. "I love you."

His breath is like hot steam. And then he kisses his neck, just at the pulse point of his neck under his chin.

Lightning bolts shoot straight up Sakakura's bodies, giving him a visible and dramatic all-over shudder. A blush rises proudly from his chest all the way up to his ears. He's still trembling when the kiss ends, but it looks like Sakakura believes something of his story because...

"Wh-Wh... What the hell...?!"

"...You were right." Munakata nods. "You do like that."

"Wh... What do you mean?!"

"The other Sakakura... Or... You, I should say... You told me there that you've always wanted me to tell you good morning and kiss your neck when you wake up next to me. That it was something you-"

"Stop. I can't. I cannot... Just..." Sakakura is frazzled by all of this. "...I... I'm... I believe you, just..."

"Let me do it again."

"P-Please, don't. I... I don't think I can..."

"Do you really not want me to...?" Munakata asks smiling as he presses his lips to Sakakura's ear. "...Are you sure?"

"W-Well..." Sakakura's blush is still quite prominent. "Just... One more time. Please."

"Good morning, Juzo." He smiles seeing the reaction. "I love you."

And then, like before, he kisses him gently on the neck. New lightning bolts ripple through him, and the all-over shudder is back.

"...Holy shit."

"Would you like me to do it again?"

"No... Don't... Don't ruin it." He says quickly, still blushing. "I... I don't want to... not feel that kind of shiver, you know...?"

"That's very cute of you."

"That is not a compliment."

"Mm... But you are cute. Your face... Your hair..." Munakata presses his hand against Sakakura's chest. "The way your heart flutters... How did I never see you there before now...?"

"...Are you feeling okay...? That's... That's usually not how you..."

"I..." Munakata considers it. "I think I'm ready."

"Huh? Ready for what?"

Munakata would explain, but it might be easier to show him what he wants. Maybe too aggressively, he pulls Sakakura closer and begins to kiss his collarbone.

"Ready for you."

"Sh... Shit..."

The kisses don't stop, but it does become both of them kissing each other instead of one-sided. Sakakura eagerly wastes no time helping Munakata undress, eager to see every inch of him and get see if he can make Munakata shudder like that.

"...I'll cherish you."

"Don't say that... You... I don't know why, but you make me tear up when you say it."

Sakakura's voice is surprisingly vulnerable.

"I apologize. The last time for a while, I hope." He smiles.

...

At some point, they've both fully undressed each other and Sakakura has found himself on his back, cushioned by the pillows, one under his lower back the way he's instructed Munakata.

It... definitely feels vulnerable to be lying there, naked, with his legs around Munakata's hips, erection there, periodically pulsing obscenely.

"...Which side of the condom is the right one?"

"Here. Let me show you."

He's... pretty sure Munakata is either a virgin, or somehow has never had sex with a condom. Although, it is fun to watch him fumble. When he's finally got the condom on, Munakata then has a brief introduction to lube... which he already knew was important from a scientific approach.

From a practical approach, and just by using fingers, he can tell it's necessary.

Even so... Finding ways to make Sakakura's legs tremble this way is fun. 

"...Just keep doing this until you're loose enough...?" Munakata asks, mostly seriously, but he enjoys the way Sakakura's cock bobs and leaks with pleasure.

"Y-Yeah... Well, I'll tell you if you need more lube, but... Usually two or three fingers is enough, depending on..." He grumbles. "Why did I become the sex tutor."

"That's a different kind of roleplaying."

"Shut up. Just... I'll tell you what I need. And eventually you get better at reading what the other person needs. Unless you want rough sex but... I... Yeah, I'll stop now."

"You're a shy lover." Munakata says it clinically. "I think I like that. It makes me want to make you do things."

"...Do things?"

"Cry out, whimper, blush... I think that's what I enjoy most about you when you become embarrassed."

"I do not cry out."

"Not yet." Munakata gives a hopeful smile. "We'll find out together, won't we..."

"Are you teasing me?"

"...In more than one way, yes."

...

Sakakura breathes and then quickly winces and gasps before Munakata slides in. At least there'd been enough lube.

"There... I ...You're good. How are you doing?"

"I..." Munakata blushes, easing closer which gets an immediate bodily reaction. He had forgotten he was actually inside Sakakura for that brief instant. "I think you are tight."

"Y-Yeah... I am. Sometimes you get looser when you relax or... after a lot of... Listen, I'll send you information later just..."

"Should I move?"

"Let me just... kind of breathe. And give me a chance to relax. Or... You can come in closer and kiss me."

"I like that idea."

Munakata tries not to hurt Sakakura as he moves into position, chest to chest, with Sakakura's legs holding onto him at the hip.

This position is easier to kiss him. He... hopes the eye patch he's wearing isn't too much of a turn-off. But Sakakura's metal hand is there, and it doesn't bother Munakata at all so...

"How does it feel...?" Sakakura asks.

"I like feeling this close to you. And I absolutely enjoy kissing you."

"But is... sex with me... okay?"

"...Are you self-conscious?"

"I know you don't have that much experience, but I'd rather not be a bad experience. If that makes sense."

"...Juzo, I didn't know how to get a condom on. I think it this ends up a bad experience, it's more my fault than yours. And, besides, I know your weak point. I can exploit it whenever I want. I think it's a good day."

The man loses his virginity (maybe) and suddenly he's a sadist.

"I think I'm okay. You can start moving."

"Back and forth?"

"...Do whatever you think will feel good, but usually back and forth. Just don't pull out and go back in. It... Well, I'll explain later."

"And I aim for the prostate."

"Your aim is to make me enjoy myself. It's not about anatomy it's..." Sakakura ignores it and just decides to show him, rubbing his hips against Munakata before pulling him in for a kiss. "Try and turn that big sexy brain off, and just kiss me... and move with me."

...

Their movements are slow and deliberate. Sakakura thinks they could go faster if Munakata wanted, but for now, it's best to go as a simple and gentle tide at least until...

"Juzo... I can... feel it coming..."

"Yeah...? You're close?"

"I... Yes. I think so. What do you want me to do?"

"Keep going. You're wearing a condom, you're not going to make a huge mess."

"But... I want to go faster."

"Go faster then." Sakakura smirks. He was holding back then. He uses his superior muscle to press harder into Munakata who grunts loudly. "There. Harder. Don't go crazy but..."

Munakata places his hands on Sakakura's thighs, opening and closing them for more friction as he thrusts. Sakakura must also be enjoying it too, based on the small breathy gasps he gives. Taking hold of Sakakura's cock with his hand surprises them both, but he begins to stroke him... which leads to more intense movements and...

"Juzo... I... I want to..."

"Go... Go ahead... I'm... Yeah, go... Do it."

It really isn't long until Munakata's vision seems to cloud over as his body locks. Sakakura recognizes that, and continues to press against him back and forth to really see him shudder... which is a success.

Slowly, Munakata's expression seems to clear as his body starts to go limp.

"I... I did it." He says bashfully. "...Thank you."

"You... don't need to thank me. Just... Tell me you love me. That's more what people do."

"Could you also help me figure out how to... dispose of this?"

"No problem." Sakakura smiles. Munakata will get it. There's time now. They can keep going as many times as Munakata can take. "Here... Go ahead and pull out."

"But... I didn't let you finish."

"You will, but for now..."

There is less cleanup this way. Sakakura was right.

Seeing Sakakura stroke himself is... entrancing but ultimately...

"I should do that." Munakata leans in closer and takes a hold of Sakakura. "Allow me."

Munakata's hand is warm and rough but slick. Firm calluses from the sword. He can feel it all as Munakata's hand squeezes him and slides up and down. Throughout it all, Munakata kisses him and keeps eye contact most of the time.

He can see why Sakakura might be worried to have Munakata on the bottom... Sakakura is... well-endowed. He can see how it might be uncomfortable... Or, uncomfortable in a good way, as well.

"...Fuck." Sakakura trembles.

"Are you close?"

"Y-Yeah. I am." He says reaching forward to desperately kiss him. "God, I don't know who to thank for this exactly but... Thanks... Whoever."

...Hopefully Yukizome hasn't actually been watching this. Maybe better to avoid the talk of Enoshima at all.

"Focus on me. Look at me..." Munakata commands and Sakakura nods, staring at him. "Just look into my eye... I want to see what you look like... when your eyes fog over."

"You... You really are a closet slut, huh..." Sakakura smiles. What a dirty mouth.

"I could always stop touching you..."

"Don't. I'm sorry." Maybe.

"I love you, Juzo." He says without the kiss to Sakakura's neck. Even so, he can feel Sakakura being consumed by it. "I love you..."

He repeats it as he gets closer and closer until there's a rather loud groan from Sakakura and... sticky white oozes out over Munakata's hand, splashes its way up Sakakura's chest, abdomen, and some even splatters his neck.

"Ha..." Sakakura breathes out at last. "That..."

"Were you alright with it...?"

"I can't wait til next time." Sakakura smiles. "If you'll have me."

"I will." Munakata smiles. "And I'll cherish you."

"...You're doing this on purpose."

"That... is true, yes." Munakata smirks.

After they clean themselves up, there's a strange moment of recognition between the two of them. Whether it's their nakedness or seeing each other more clearly than they had in a long time...

Munakata smiles.

"What?" Sakakura returns the smile, but is wary of what he has planned.

"Nothing yet. I'm planning ahead..." He takes a moment. "Would you like to watch a movie?"

"...I hope you mean here and not at a movie theater." He shakes his head. "Can we eat something before that?"

"Popcorn?"

"I meant breakfast things... I can have you try my cooking."

"And then round two...?"

"I thought you wanted to see a movie." Sakakura groans. This man is insatiable after all.

"Yes, but... if we're staying here, we should pick a boring movie."

"I won't say no, but..."

That's sort of an advanced technique for someone like Munakata.

Munakata embraces Sakakura from behind, pulling him against himself. He can see all of the freckles and blemishes on Sakakura's tan skin like this and... it doesn't feel strange at all.

"...Do not leave my side."

"I won't. You... fought for me. And you love me." Sakakura pats his arms. "I'm all yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the hardest chapter to write, so I hope it turned out okay.
> 
> I was worried that it might seem like Munakata ended up with "a Sakakura clone" or something, rather than actually Sakakura... I wanted to have it feel like it was still the same Sakakura, no matter what.
> 
> Please enjoy Yukizome's mysterious savior powers. They're as coherent and understandable as anything else in DR3?


	14. A Convenient Miracle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> **A Convenient Miracle**  
>  Hope Ending

"Aaaaaand in this corner, weighing... whatever she weighs - because she looks totally skinny but apparently is muscle-licious all over - Owari Akane, SHSL Gymnast~"

Mioda announces loudly with some kind of microphone setup she's working with.

"...Was this really necessary?" Soda looks to Nidai.

"As if she'd listen! She just wants to fight! ...I'm almost jealous." Nidai then laughs very loudly.

"Aaaaaaaand... in the other corner, super tall with muscles for days, - probably a little heavier with the metal hand but that's not really important to the story anymore, so just forget it okay? - Sakakura Juzo, the ex-SHSL Boxer...! ...Actually, we're all ex-SHSL people! Ibuki totally forgot!"

"Seriously, he's as bad as she is." Gozu shakes his head.

"Sakakura is the type of person who competes against others for a living!" Bandai laughs in the squeaky voice. "Like a prize winning turnip!"

"...That voice is still so freakin' creepy." Ando mutters.

"Sakakura..." Munakata looks to him seriously as Sakakura hands him his jacket. "...Good luck."

"As if I'd lose. I have pride, you know." Sakakura smirks confidently. He'd never let himself get beat up in front of Munakata.

Owari and Sakakura fight each other in the background on the turf right outside the docks. It continues on in the background.

"You're sure this is how you want things to be?" Naegi looks to Hinata seriously. "...The Future Foundation is no longer your enemy."

"Even so, there are people who would want us dead. For all the evil that we did..." Hinata says looking away. "I don't think things would be safe for us to stay with you. But... you know where to find us. Back on Jabberwock Island, and... maybe futher out past that."

"This isn't goodbye." Naegi smiles. "When things calm down, I'm sure you'll be back with us at the Future Foundation. I'm sure of it."

"But, until then, I'm going to take pictures of everyone's smiling faces!" Koizumi says taking their picture.

"To leave the world in such capable and hopeful hands..." Komaeda is staring longingly at Naegi who is only being held back by Hinata and force of will. "...I guess that's alright."

Sakakura's punch lands and there's some blood that hits the pavement. Owari smirks.

"Oh... I'm getting pumped up!"

"Weeeeh...." Tsumiki covers her eyes as she watches. "Th-They're scary..."

"They'll... need medical attention... after this." Kimura watches with her.

"Even so, it was what they both wanted, in the end. I think it is because the two of them are so similar in mindset! They push each other but can be considered friends." Sonia watches with stars in her eyes. "Many fighting anime are like this, after all!"

"Miss Sonia, this... isn't that kind of anime..." Soda laughs nervously.

"...It's cuz they're both idiots who have more chest than brains." Saionji says under her breath. "Are all athletes like that..."

"Do your best, Sakakura!" Asahina cheers from the sidelines.

"...Apparently, yes." Saionji rolls her eyes.

"Even so, to test one's might, to pull against the shackles of fate and see how far you can push yourself and your limits... To embrace the eternal question: What am I capable of... Is that not living?"

"...You seriously need to stop hanging out with that creepy Breeder." Saionji watches Sonia with confusion and a mix of disgust.

"This is a battle of Fate!" Tanaka says ignoring her. "Two souls fated for Death now fight across time and space in the endless duel! Perhaps this too is Ragnarok..."

"Just so, Tanaka! Just so!"

"God, I hope it's not contagious."

Owari knows how to kick that's for sure. Being a Boxer, Sakakura is much better equipped to deal with punches. Even though he doesn't want to use the inherent strength of his left hand with the metal prosthetic too much to his advantage, he marvels at the way the hand can block so easily.

One kick slips through and sends him backwards, cracking his jaw. He spits blood into the dust.

"Wow! Look at her... Sleek, shiny... She can take all that punishment and still keep going...!" Soda is over the moon.

"Mm... Owari is... luscious, yes..." Hanamura is gross as usual. "But... punishment, you say... Miss Owari... being punished..."

"Not her! The hand...!" Soda glares at him. He's referring to the metal prosthetic hand. "That hand... She's outperforming even my calculations!"

"...Why is the hand a 'she'?" Koizumi narrows her eyes at him.

"That's just what you do! Ships, cars, metal hands... They're all 'she'!"

"..." Koizumi shakes her head and ignores it.

"A girl magically appears on your left hand..." Hanamura is breathing strangely. "Your morning routine will never be the same!"

"Why must you act like that at every turn." The fat Togami is looking at him with utter disdain. By his side is Mitarai. "Is there truly nothing more to your character than lewd comments..."

"What? Lewd comments? Oh no! Did Ibuki miss her cue to make him go blasting off again?!"

Sakakura stands wiping his mouth.

He's gotten a few good punches in. Owari is bleeding more than he is, but she looks like she's enjoying the challenge.

"Come on! You can do better! Show me...!"

"I'm not hitting you with the metal hand." Sakakura says plainly. "Killing you after all of this would be an insult to Munakata's vision of Hope."

"Huh? If you're not gonna fight me seriously, then what's the point?!" Owari glares. "Are you looking down on me? You won't use your full strength but you're holding me off...?!"

"Mm... Maybe we should make a wager." Kizakura smirks.

"No." Kirigiri stays immediately.

"Isn't it obvious? They're both going to win!" Hagakure points. "That's what all my senses are telling me!"

"It's a shame the only sense you weren't given was common sense." Togami doesn't even know why he's here in the first place.

"What about you, boss man?" Kizakura turns a sly eye over to Munakata. "Whose your pick? Who's your money on?"

"Isn't it obvious? Sakakura would never allow himself to lose." Munakata refuses to look anywhere but at Sakakura.

"Aren't you doting on him a little too much?" Kizakura smiles to himself seeing Munakata watch Sakakura. They think they're slick...

"Nah, you don't get against the home team!" Hagakure laughs. "But... I wonder how long they plan on keeping this up."

"When we had to capture the Remnants of Despair the first time..." Munakata considers it. "...I do remember it becoming a bloody brawl."

"With any luck it will not come to that." Gozu says simply.

"I believe they will stop before things go too far." Pekoyama crosses her arms. "Or, perhaps Sakakura will... Owari... I could not say."

Sakakura and Owari fight for what seems like hours, but it's actually more like half an hour, just with lots of guttural noises. Punches and kicks that look like they're deciding blows echo as they connect or get blocked

Sakakura blocks a kick from Owari that makes his right arm feel numb from the impact before gripping her leg with his left and flinging her back.

She bounds back like rubber and swings her arm like a club that knocks him hard in the stomach before a kick sends his vision going upwards. There's momentary haze before she dashes at him again leaping to strike. Out of instinct, Sakakura thrusts his left hand forward in a punch that connects with Owari's midsection and knocks her clear back towards the sidelines.

She's helped up by Nidai and quickly rushes back in.

"You're... strong."

"It's the metal hand." He says simply. "I should have taken it off and made this a fair fight."

"You think you can beat me with one hand...!" She appears to take that as an insult.

"A hand that can't feel or get damaged isn't fair." Sakakura eases up on his stance. The way he fights is southpaw style, his left hand is the one he'd use the most, and with his muscles and a hand that can't wear out or be injured... It's not a totally fair fight. "I think we should stop now."

"Quit looking down on me!"

"Even you must have realized it..." Sakakura doesn't look at her. "You're just no match for me right now. But if you're looking for a knockout punch, I'll give it to you."

"As if I'd give up! I can't lose! There's... just no way!"

But even though she rushes at him again, Sakakura is able to avoid her kick that rushes past overhead. A solid punch sends her back to the dirt with Nidai helping her stand.

Sakakura is also bloody and sweating, but he's got an unfair advantage, or that's how he sees it. 

"...D-Damn it..." Owari is bruised and bloodied, and has a hard time standing easily. "I... I can't win like this...!"

"Oh my!" Mioda begins. "It looks like Sakakura wins? Such bold words from our lovely Gymnast and to have it all end like this...!"

"...Yeah..." Owari mumbles, legs still shaky. She groans and flops back on her back, almost like it's a tantrum. "I need to get stronger...! Way stronger...!"

"Did she give up?" Saionji's obviously less than pleased. "Booooring."

"It's not giving up to accept your limits!" Nidai points at Saionji with so much determination that it makes Saionji feel instantly repulsed by anything he's about to say. "What matters is the willingness to exceeeeeeeed them!"

"So loud..." Saionji ignores him.

"Hey." Sakakura relaxes his stance. "You're tough, Owari. You're much stronger than when we fought last."

"...I'm gonna get stronger and then there's gonna be a rematch!"

"..." Sakakura looks to Munakata who gives a sympathetic shrug. He turns back to Owari. "Yeah, sure. As long as you don't commit any acts of terrorism, I might even let you win."

Once Sakakura retrieves his jacket, and Kimura and Tsumiki have seen to both him and Owari, the former Remnants of Despair have begun to board their ship. Soda stops only briefly to give Sakakura's hand a tune up.

"We're really just going to let them go...?" Ando looks to Munakata, suspicious.

"For now. Yes."

"...I know you don't have much reason to trust us, but..." Hinata begins.

"Make no mistake. This is to repay a debt." Munakata stares at him seriously with his one good eye. "You saved our lives. I can grant you this second chance in return... But, if you turn back to Despair... I will cut you down."

"We could expect no less." Pekoyama nods.

"What a tense atmosphere..." Mioda says ominously. "It's totally like an uneasy truce between the protagonist and the former villain! Oh crap! Are we the former villain?!"

"...They helped us." Bandai smiles. "Now we can help them."

"Mitarai's going with them." Kirigiri says quietly. "We'll have another vacancy to fill..."

"But look how happy he looks." Kizakura points to Mitarai smiling and laughing with the Imposter. "Brings a tear to my eyes..."

"...I suppose you're right." And Kirigiri smiles.

"Buuuut..." Kizakura laughs incredulously. "How are these bunch of kids going to pilot a battleship around...? Is anyone the least bit concerned about that...?"

"Ooh! Ibuki calls Captain! Ibuki calls Captain! Totally calling dibs! Captain Mioda here to steer the way right into danger~"

"Steer us out of danger, not into it!" Soda points at her.

"Well..." Hinata silently rejects Mioda's dibs. "I have many talents so... it should be alright."

"So, it's something contrived and convenient like, 'I've got all the talents including SHSL Ship Captain', huh?"

"...Pretty much."

"Okay. And we're going to let that go without worrying about it at all?" Silence. "...Alright, got it. Moving on."

"I'm sure with my luck and Komaeda's luck, we won't get into any problems."

"Arrrr! Hoist the mizzen mast! There be treasure in them there islands!" Mioda laughs loudly.

"Fool. We are not pirates." The Imposter looks over to her. "Don't go changing genres."

"Forget genres, that feels like an entirely different anime..." Komaeda laughs awkwardly.

"I christen our ship the JS Plot Device! Avast me hearties!" She then points to Saionji. "You're in charge of swabbing the poopdeck!"

"Swab your own poopdeck, ugly bimbo! I'm not your maid."

"...Alright, let's not commit mutiny right off the bat." Koizumi says trying to keep the peace.

"You need not worry about us." Sonia smiles. "If Hinata's skill does not suffice, I am sure the military education I was given in my kingdom will be quite useful!"

"As expected, Miss Sonia is a woman of many talents!" Soda continues to swoon over her.

"...I warn you now, fiend, if you dismantle our engine, you will be dismantled in turn." Tanaka eyes him warily. "And your virgin blood will be used to maintain the seal between this dimension and the hellscape that waits beyond..."

"Virgin is right." Kuzuryu snickers under his breath. Pekoyama gives him a somewhat disapproving look.

"Wh- Leave my virgin blood out of this! I... I only wanted to see how the engine worked... that's all..."

"You may not!" Sonia points at him.

...

Eventually all of the Remnants plus Mitarai are on the ship and the ship slowly begins to pull away from the dock.

"...Well, I've never been part of a corporate cover-up. This oughta be fun~" Kizakura laughs because no one else is saying anything.

"Let us depart." Gozu says quietly. "There's much work to be done."

"...Yeah, I better work on finding new members, huh..."

"...Let's go." Izayoi says simply, walking arm in arm with Ando.

"Sakakura..." Munakata pulls him aside for a moment and looks at him seriously once everyone else has left. "You did very well. I am proud of you."

Aside from some bruising and a few bandages on his face, he's mostly healed after Kimura and Tsumiki got through with him, thanks to the wonders of unnatural ability and medicine. Owari had sworn up and down that she was going to kick his ass next time...

That... would be dangerous. She might actually do it...

"Yeah...? How proud?" He decides to press his luck once everyone else is gone.

Munakata smiles and gives him a small kiss on the lips.

"Very. Now, let us go. I... still have to give you your prize."

Suddenly it's very warm...

~ ~ ~

"Then... You ended up letting the Remnants of Despair go." Tengan says sitting across from Gozu. "That must be quite the change of heart Munakata had..."

"It was due to your influence." Gozu says. "I have no doubt of that."

"Is he really the same man who called for their immediate execution..." He laughs. "He was ready to execute Naegi for letting them go... I wonder what happened to him to make him change so drastically. Can you really trust a man that would seemingly change his entire personality and motivations like that, Gozu...?"

If this is a test, Gozu doesn't know the right answer to give him. There's something in that look that's maybe too knowing. Tengan still holds some sway over him, that much is true. That is why he cannot let his guard down.

And...

"...Tengan."

"Mm...?"

"You betrayed me. And you used my trust in you against me." Gozu says simply. "You would have used me as a stepping stone for Hope... Was that your plan?"

"...I am glad you survived, my friend." Tengan smiles. After all this time, Gozu still can't read him at all. "Truly. Your death would have saddened me."

"You still believe that your way was the only way."

"I believe my way was the best way, not the only way." Tengan shrugs. "Eliminating all Despair at once... is more efficient than letting seeds of it go and spread. Isn't it better to stop it at the source?"

The source being human beings themselves. But... losing free will would be...

"I can see your point, but isn't there too much Despair in being brainwashed to believe something wholeheartedly?"

"You would rather let leaders and politicians and the media subtly influence you to believe things? That's truly better than a utopia? How many have died already because of those still afflicted by Despair? ...It is a disease. Instead of fighting symptoms, can you really not see how my way would have eliminated the source? And kept anything else from happening?"

"...Until a new generation of those unbrainwashed appeared, maybe. But... I do believe this way is preferable to a forced utopia. Having life decided for you by something as arbitrary as that... is Despair to me."

"Gozu... There are very few things in this world we get to choose for ourselves. Mitarai would have changed the global generation... Instead, I will die before I ever see Hope truly come to fruition. What is that if not Despair?"

"...I do not agree with you." Are his feelings getting through at all? Or is this just another game that he doesn't know the rules of?

"And that is a choice you do have."

"...I think our time is nearly up. I'll visit you next week." Gozu stands. "Be well."

"I'll be waiting..." Tengan gives a wry smirk. "As if I have a choice."

~ ~ ~

"Want another~?" Ando is feeding Izayoi macaroons again.

"..." Izayoi opens his mouth for another.

"I wanted... to thank you." Kimura says with a smile behind the mask to Asahina. "I appreciated the sugar-free candy."

Momentarily, Ando feels a pang of jealousy watching them.

"It's no problem. I made sure to keep the nutrition information and the ingredients there on the bag. I... was afraid I'd mess it up and get you something you couldn't eat so...!"

"No... They were good, thank you." She's still clearly elated.

Asahina rubs her neck shyly. It's always fun to see someone so happy with a gift she's gotten.

"Hmph." Ando huffs and crosses her arms.

"There, there." Izayoi pats her head as if to console her.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Asahina turns to her.

"..." She turns her head away.

"Fine, be that way." Asahina rolls her eyes.

"...Sugar-free. What's the point."

"Huh?"

"...Just ignore her." Kimura tries not to let Ando's sour mood take away from them. "She's... always like that."

"They're desserts. Desserts are all about sugar." Ando continues.

"But... Can't you make them without sugar?"

"Like I said. There's no point. Why would I use my great talents trying something so... pointless!" Ando has become prickly and stares at Kimura.

"I didn't mean _you_ should make them, I meant they can be made without sugar..." She grumbles. Ando's too selfish to understand, probably. "It's like an allergy though. You wouldn't tell someone who's allergic to peanuts to avoid every dessert; you'd make one without peanuts!"

"It's sugar, not peanuts!"

"But your friend can't have sugar!" Asahina has gotten up in her face. "And she helped you. If you're really so great at it, it should be no problem to make candy or something that doesn't have sugar!"

"Who told you we were friends? We are not!"

"..." Even Izayoi seems to disapprove of this. "It wouldn't be hard. I know you can do it."

"Huh?! Wh... Why would I?"

"Because... it is the right thing to do." He says simply.

"..." Kimura looks down, not wanting to antagonize Ando. "It's okay. She's... She's always like this..."

"..." Ando turns to her seriously, deliberating. For as much as she disliked her... she... did help her when she was injured. It was her Division that helped her after being shot. So... "...Fine. I owe you. I... I can at least try."

"...Huh?" Kimura blinks.

"I said I'll do it! How many times are you going to make me repeat things!"

"If you make them, it will be delicious." Izayoi says kindly.

"...You'll be there too." Ando looks to Kimura. "We'll make them together so I don't put in anything you can't have."

"O-Okay!"

"Great, I wanna help too!" Asahina laughs. "Let's make donuts too!"

Donuts again...?

"...Fine, fine. Let's go."

"Wait, now?" Asahina asks.

"What, you have something better to do?"

"W-Well... I guess not..."

"Then let's see what we can make." Ando looks to Kimura. "Together, this time. But just this once."

"Nah, we all know you're a pushover now, so we'll do it a lot!" Asahina laughs loudly.

"...Don't make me change my mind."

~ ~ ~

"We're going to have our hands full for a while." Kirigiri says simply.

"Well, that was expected... Still... Not as bad as it could be." Kizakura stretches. "Even so, there's still some loose ends, and holes to fill."

"Naturally." Togami says simply. "However. We have it on good authority that the one who killed Gekkogahara is someone we know."

"...We?"

"Can you hear me?" Togami says as he clicks a button and opens up the communications channel.

"Yes. We hear you." On the screen, Naegi Komaru appears on screen. "We're here in Towa City."

"M-Master~"

"..." Ignoring Fukawa completely, Togami addresses Komaru directly. "You've had dealings with Towa Monaka before."

"That's right. She... Well, from what you said, it would only be her..."

"The message that was sent from the communications room..." Togami nods. "There was something off about it. At least now we know what it is. Can I leave things in your hands?"

"O-Of course! We'll do our best!"

"Then, get to it." Togami says almost brusque.

"M-Master I-"

Togami cuts off the video before Fukawa can finish speaking.

"...Was that your girlfriend?" Kizakura teases and gets the nastiest look from Togami in return.

A look that says Kizakura is less than nothing to him... A look Kizakura can ignore easily.

"Let it be known that you have made an enemy of the Togami family from now in perpetuity."

"Aw. Cute. Young love..."

"..." Kirigiri rolls her eyes and walks away.

They leave Togami alone. He's going to be overseeing the investigation into Gekkogahara and Towa Monaka personally... probably to avoid the big meeting later.

...

Walking together, Kirigiri pulls Kizakura aside for a moment.

"Something on your mind?" He smiles at her, pushing up his hat.

"It must have been very hard for you." She says nodding.

"Come again?"

"...To have watched him die on the broadcast, I mean."

"..."

"Enoshima Junko broadcast the first killing game to everyone... I imagine, you were also watching."

"..." Kizakura keeps his silence.

"Even I never saw what happened to him, though, I did witness the end result." She says quietly. "...It must have been quite hard for you to have to see everything he worked for come crashing down all around him, and to see him die on top of it."

"...It sure was a bad day, not gonna lie." Kizakura's tone has evened out. The jokester disappears behind a fragile smile. "Wasn't sure you remembered me."

"...I didn't. Not at first. However..." She puts a gloved hand to her chin. "The picture of my father holding me. That was one that... you took, wasn't it."

"You sound like you don't need an answer."

"It was an educated guess. But... I'll take that as confirmation." She says quietly before looking away. "You never said anything."

"...Even he knew how much you disliked him. Hell, 'hated' might be a better word for it. But even so, he reached out to you in the end... asked you to come to Hope's Peak. And you did come, so... I guess you both had things you wanted to say."

"Indeed..." With the Future Foundation's help, they had managed to recover most of their missing memories. Even so. "...I wish... I could have told him I hated him to his face."

"I'm pretty sure you did." He laughs.

"Yes, but I'd like to remember it clearly. I didn't want his explanations or excuses. I wanted him to hear me. As an adult, and not as a child. I wanted... him to know how much he hurt me, and have that pain acknowledged."

"You were always on his mind." Kizakura smiles. "Whether you hated him or not. He... was a very complicated idiot, after all."

"...You knew him better than I did. If... If he were here..." For a very brief moment, she looks like she's about to become vulnerable. And... she does. It isn't a side she lets others see, but... "...What would he think of me, if he were here?"

"You have to ask?" Kizakura gives a wry chuckle. "What do you think he'd say?"

"...I'm... not good at reading his thoughts. That's why I asked you." She says, feeling regret for asking.

"Okay, okay... Don't go giving me that look." He takes off his hat. "He didn't care what happened to himself... not really. He wanted you to live. I think when he died, he was more afraid for you. Because he let Enoshima and Ikusaba in, and then didn't toss them out when he suspected they were up to no good. Dying and leaving you alone to clean up his mess... was probably his greatest regret."

"..."

"But, we tried to get you out. And even though we didn't really help much, you were okay in the end. If you hadn't have been there, I think all the students there would have died... Naegi, Asahina, even Togami... and especially Hagakure. There were so many times watching when I thought you'd pick the wrong culprit, or that you'd die... And you always turned it around."

"That... doesn't answer my question."

"...No? I'm proud of you. Even after every shitty thing that's been handed to you, you never once gave up or considered giving up. And you can still bring yourself to smile, even after facing two killing games and an apocalypse... He'd... be proud of you. Like I am. And he wouldn't stop apologizing to the both of us for letting us down... It'd be really annoying, he'd probably cry, and it would just be a disaster."

"..." There's a moment where she looks surprised, as if she can't control the emotions she's displaying. Because, she'd let her guard down. "...Thank you. For telling me that."

"I've probably still got some of his things around. If you're interested, I can show you some of them."

"I... would need to think about that." She says honestly. "For now, let's get back to work."

"You're the boss, boss..." He laughs. "Even if you're not. Happy to help."

~ ~ ~

"As of now, I can't really consent to that plan." Munakata says without looking at Naegi. "...Although, I do share your desire to make it a reality."

"...You think it won't work?"

"Reopening Hope's Peak could be a colossal mistake. Even I can realize that now in hindsight. It was where the Tragedy all began. Its history is soaked in blood and Despair... The talentless in this world saw themselves as lowly and insignificant. Their futures were decided by a select few, and the Super High School Levels saw their own futures as hopelessly confined to their talents. The way the Reserve Department was treated led directly to them being provoked into violence. And Enoshima was able to manipulate many talented people by preying on the fears that society itself instilled in them."

"But... For a lot of people, Hope's Peak was a beacon of Hope. The idea that if you graduated from there, you could succeed in life is what gave so many people Hope in the first place."

"And it also brought Despair to those who couldn't live up to those expectations, and to those who could no longer accomplish their dreams." Munakata states it as simply as he can. "The very nature of a hierarchy is that there is an implied bottom rung. In some cases, hierarchies are necessary as in chains of command. But if it becomes impossible to advance, or if your existence becomes defined by your station..."

"I know. That's what Enoshima exploited with her movement. But... I don't think it's wrong to try and nurture Hope. To have it spread. Of course, the experiments and the way the Reserve students were treated was wrong but... We can combine our Hopes."

"...What is it you're suggesting?"

"Maybe we could open the school to anyone, talent or no talent... Or..."

"..." Munakata considers it. "I can see the merit in this. I still think our primary concern is reconstruction... But... I will think more on this matter. Trust me."

...

"Am I interrupting?" Gozu enters the room.

"No. I think we're done for now." Munakata looks to Naegi who nods. "You're early for the meeting."

"...I went to see Tengan again. I still can't get a clear answer out of him."

"It's alright. That isn't important..." Munakata says it and then rethinks it. "If it's important to you, do not stop asking. But... I have accepted that Tengan is no longer the man I believed he was. Or, if he was the same man, then I was the one who was blind."

"..."

"I hope in time you can come to trust me as well, Gozu. You are a loyal man, and a valuable asset to the Future Founation. And... I consider you a friend."

"...You have changed." Gozu says before pulling off the mask. It's much easier to read his expressions this way. "My faith in our cause remains the same. As for you... I... am not quite there yet. But, I believe you have the ability to change this world for the better."

"In that case, please, tell me when you believe I have chosen the wrong path. I need to hear all voices, even those of dissent. I do not... want blind followers. And I accept that I am not infallible."

"Hah... You couldn't keep me from following you blindly." Gozu smirks.

"Good. We'll guide this new world... together."

There was never going to be an easy way to create a new future. But, if they were going to create Hope, they'd walk the hard road.

"So exciting!" Bandai laughs as he shows up for the meeting. "Making rivers in the desert!"

...That... actually made sense in this context.

Munakata smiles.

"Exactly."

"-told you you made too much!" A voice squawks.

"We did not! Everyone's gonna love them!"

"No one needs this many donuts...!" Ando says as the group of them - herself, Izayoi, Asahina, and Kimura - come in with trays of desserts.

"Have you seen Sakakura? He could put away all of this! And I'm gonna help too!"

"You'd better, if you make my food go to waste, I won't forgive you."

"...Where... should we put this?"

Gozu gives a small chuckle as he goes to assist them with the heavy trays.

"I'll make coffee and tea!" Bandai laughs.

The next two who come in are Kizakura and Kirigiri, followed by Hagakure.

"...Well. That's..." Kizakura stares at the mountains of sweets. "That's something."

"Three guesses who's the one who asked for so many donuts." Hagakure shakes his head. "Is that all you have going for your characterization?"

"I don't want to hear that from the idiot who hates the occult but _is_ occult!"

As they argue, Kimura pulls down her mask to eat from the sugar-free desserts. And somehow that makes Ando very happy.

"Whatever! I do a lot more than eat donuts, that's for sure!"

"You're just comic relief, and you're not even that funny." Asahina scoffs and goes back to donuts. "Aren't they good, Kimura?"

"They... They are."

"..." Izayoi places his hand on Ando's shoulder. "You did good."

"Yoi..."

"What do you mean I'm not funny?! I'm hilarious!" 

"They're just going to keep arguing... Do you want to enter the fray and get something to eat?" Kizakura laughs.

"...Just this once." Kirigiri smiles.

...

When Sakakura enters, he observes the chaos and avoids it, before approaching Munakata.

Before all of this, they'd met at Yukizome's grave with the Remnants of Despair.

She had been their teacher, so it seemed only right to give them a chance to say their goodbyes. Ever since, Yukizome had been on his mind.

"...Sakakura." Munakata gives him a nod of the head.

"Can I talk to you in private?"

"Of course."

Sakakura pulls Munakata away for a moment, allowing everyone else to gather for the meeting. They speak in a smaller room out of earshot from the others.

"...This is what she wanted." Sakakura says with a small smile. "She'd be happy."

"I know. I... only wish she were here." It's a futile wish. And maybe selfish all things considered. "She deserves to be here too."

"Yeah. But... I feel like she might be. In a way." He grumbles. "I still don't really understand everything exactly, but..."

"It's alright. I also have moments where I cannot believe it."

"...Before I lose my nerve, I want to say something."

"What is...?"

He's cut off by Sakakura stealing a kiss, lips against his, the feeling of metal on his cheek from the hand. It's unexpected, but not unwanted. No one can see them, but even so, Sakakura pulls back nervously from the kiss as if he'd run the risk of being caught in the act.

"...Was that too sudden?"

"No. But, I don't think I understood what you wanted to say just from that." Munakata allows a smile.

"Move in with me." He says a blush fiercely overtaking his cheeks. "Or I could move in with you. I... I don't care which. But, I'd... I'd like us to live together."

"...I see."

"I... I had a speech kind of prepared in my head. I asked Yukizome if it was okay... But she doesn't answer, at least... Not there she doesn't. I told her I was going to try to move on and make you happy. And I asked her to look out for me. And you, of course."

"...Funny. I asked her to watch over you as well." Munakata sees Sakakura's blush stubbornly remain. "Although, knowing her, she wouldn't mind."

"Well... My speech..." He groans. "It's not important. The gist is, you make it easier when... things are hard. And... I don't want to waste the time we have together. I'm... I'm hoping you feel the same."

Munakata smiles and kisses him harder, pressing his lips against the other man's.

"Of course I do. You need to ask?"

"...Yes. I obviously need to ask." Sakakura says adjusting his hair after the kiss. "...You're okay with it?"

"Your hair is fine." Munakata reaches out to smooth out one of the waves, and Sakakura lightly bats his hand away.

"I meant moving in together." Sakakura gives a tense smirk. "Don't play dumb."

"Yes. You and I will discuss how the living arrangements will work later... How about over dinner?"

"...Yeah. I'd like that." Sakakura smiles.

"It's a date."

"..." That shouldn't feel as unreal as it does, but Sakakura nods, embarrassed. "Y-Yeah. It's a date..."

"Let's get back to them, before they wonder what happened to us."

...

The Future Foundation sits around the table. A few of the chairs are empty but...

Kizakura sits next to Kirigiri, who sits next to Naegi.

Naegi seems excited not to be the subject of a tribunal this time.

Kirigiri leans over as Kizakura whispers something to her, and she nods before saying something back to him in a hushed voice. He must say something funny because he laughs, and even she smiles.

Bandai is talking animatedly to Gozu as they sip something out of little cups. Bandai's laughter is infectious, and soon he's laughing so hard he catches the attention of the others.

Gozu looks down, contemplative, and momentarily sad before he catches Munakata's eye. There's a solemn expression before Gozu gives him a polite nod. He would no longer follow blindly. But, for now, he was going to put his faith in Munakata. 

And there was a silent promise in the look they share not to become as myopic as Tengan. A promise to do better. To know better. And to try.

Izayoi and Ando talk, or rather, Ando speaks and offers food and Izayoi opens his mouth to nod along or shake his head. They seem mostly the same, but there's more of a closeness there... Something more... just under the surface.

Asahina hungrily eats donut after donut, talking with her mouth full to Kimura who nods along, almost afraid for her. And then, Asahina looks like she's in pain. Kimura's eyes widen as she goes to help, as Asahina bangs on her chest before finally swallowing. She was eating too fast.

Asahina laughs it off and gives a bashful look, trying to disarm the situation even with Kimura looking concerned for her safety.

And then...

Sakakura sits by his side, observing the madness. He manages to eat slowly, shaking his head in Asahina's direction.

Sakakura... who had been there from the beginning.

When he realizes Munakata's staring at him, he turns to give him a confused look. Munakata simply shakes his head as if to say, no, it's nothing. 

A strong man... surprisingly shy and almost reclusive, but no one believed in him more. And... now Sakakura was all his. How had that happened, he wondered...? 

Ah, but he knows the answer. A fond smile as he looks over to Yukizome's empty seat. 

Under the table, where no one else can see... Munakata finds a hand take his. Sakakura doesn't look in his direction, but the strong callused hand squeezes his under the table. A faint blush on his lips, and then a quick glance his way, coy and then looks away again.

Munakata gives the hand a squeeze before he stands.

"Everyone. I'd like to call the meeting to order."

He's at the head of the table, and everyone turns to him... hopeful smiling faces of his friends and allies.

"..." Sakakura's admiring face settles on him and nods. "All yours, Mr. Chairman."

And... embarrassingly... as anyone could have imagined...

Munakata stands up on the table to address everyone.

There are silent knowing smiles, and even Sakakura tries to hold back the giggles that threaten to overtake him... Instead he sits there, shaking silently with suppressed laughter and covering his face. The man that he loved... was truly... unique.

"Members of the Future Foundation... My friends... I would like to talk to you about my vision of Hope for the Future..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to everyone who sent me all the very nice messages here and everywhere else. This is my vision of Hope.
> 
> Remember, if you don't like the way things are - change the future. That's what DR2 says, anyway~

**Author's Note:**

> A prompt from Kinkyronpa:
> 
> "Munakata feels nothing but regret about being responsible for Sakakura's death, about not being able to apologize, not being able to save him. And in some sick cosmic joke he gets sent back to the beginning of the killing game, after Yukizome's death. It's like deja vu at first but the more he relives it the more he knows what will happen because of his actions and so he avoids making the same mistakes. But doing that just opens up a whole new series of mistakes for him to make. No matter what he does he can't seem to save Sakakura. When either he or Sakakura dies, everything restarts from the beginning again.
> 
> Most times he makes it a point for Sakakura to stay by his side for the duration of the game. And he finds himself falling in love with Sakakura. At one point Sakakura confesses and Munakata feels like an idiot for not realizing sooner. Eventually, after so long of trying and screwing up, they both make it out alive. He still lost an eye, Sakakura still lost a hand, but they made it out. Tho Munakata never stabbed him again so at least that wasn't a problem. Munakata had spent practically a lifetime trying to save Sakakura, and now he wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with him.
> 
> Smut is wonderful but not necessary, but I prefer bottom!Sakakura if you do."
> 
> https://kinkyronpa.dreamwidth.org/1278.html?thread=166142
> 
> (For plot reasons, I'm assuming Munakata knows almost everything about what happened; like maybe 85%?)


End file.
